CXXxiv PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



simply by careful cultivation ; in this way he had produced 

 many widely divergent forms of the same variety. 



Messrs. Birkenhead, of Sale, near Manchester, were also 

 contributors to this class, paying particular attention to the 

 varieties which find most favour in commerce. 



These three collections, from widely separated parts of the 

 country, were remarkable for the healthy condition of the 

 specimens and their extreme variation, which in many cases, 

 especially among the common Hart's Tongue (Scolopendrium 

 vulgare), assumed most grotesque forms. It would be invidious 

 to describe any particular variety where all were so excellent, 

 and perhaps we cannot do better than refer our readers to the 

 two very valuable books on British Ferns published by Dr. 

 Lowe and Mr. Druery, in which the description and history of 

 each form is given. For our present purpose we need only 

 remark that the varieties which found most favour with the 

 Judges are those which received a Certificate of Merit and have 

 their names given below. 



In the second class, Messrs. Birkenhead had a collection of 

 hardy North American Ferns. There were several examples of 

 Cheilanthes, Onoclea sensibilis, Struthiopteris germanica, and 

 others equally well known. 



The class for Stove and Greenhouse Ferns was a popular one. 

 The chief exhibitors were Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea ; 

 Mr. H. B. May, Dyson's Lane, Upper Edmonton ; Messrs. 

 Birkenhead ; and J. A. Whittard, Esq., Kydal Mount, Streatham 

 Hill. 



Messrs. Veitch's collection, containing about 250 species and 

 varieties, was of a most diverse character, and represented most 

 of the popular Ferns cultivated under glass. A conspicuous exhibit 

 was a pan of Todea seedlings raised from spores of T. pellucida 

 ferulacea, T. grandipinnula, T. superba,T. plumosa, mixed together, 

 each of which retained its characteristic distinctions. Thyrso- 

 pteris elegans, an exceedingly rare Fern, was exhibited by Messrs. 

 Veitch, and was very attractive on account of its graceful, finely 

 cut fronds. Lomarias were also well represented, the most 

 notable being L. gibba, L. platyptera — a hybrid between L. gibba 

 and Blechnum brasiliense — and L. L'Herminieri, a dwarf species 

 irom tropical America. Maidenhair Ferns (Adiantums) were 

 naturally in great abundance, and being perhaps better known 



