254 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



indubitable fact, as witness, besides numerous accepted British 

 examples, that extraordinary hybrid Polypodium Schneiderii, 

 which to my mind indicates immense possibilities in similar 

 directions. Mr. Schneider has, indeed, followed up this success 

 by blending several other species of Polypodium, widely different 

 from P. vulgarc, with crested forms of the latter. He has 

 kindly sent me fronds of two forms of P. neriifolium out of 

 three he had raised by sowing it with P. v. cristatum, and another 

 blend of P. v. grandiccps with P. aureiim. P. nigrescens he has 

 also crossed with P. v. cristatum, and obtained a crested plant. 

 It may, of course, be argued that, as crested varieties originate 

 spontaneously, they may not be due in these cases to crossing ; 

 but, quite apart from the fact that until these systematic sowings 

 were made no crested forms had appeared among the innumer- 

 able seedlings raised by simple sowings, the characteristic form 

 of cresting establishes the cross to experienced eyes beyond a 

 doubt, and in the case of P. Schneiderii this is further established 

 by the fact that the P. vulgarc parent is an inconstant variety, 

 and throws normal and partially normal fronds, as well as those 

 finely dissected ones truly characteristic of P. v. elegantissimum; 

 P. Schneiderii does precisely the same thing, and the dis- 

 section moreover is exactly that of our British species. The 

 entire form, in fact, of the one is infused into the other, and 

 blended with the large size, glaucous hue, large white rhizome, 

 and general features of the exotic. The most exacting scientist,, 

 therefore, should be as satisfied in this case, as the mere fern 

 expert cannot fail to be in the others. We have consequently 

 here a twofold useful field of operations, since it is to be presumed 

 that the tender character of the exotic is strengthened by the 

 cross, making it hardier, while there are innumerable exotic 

 forms which, as decorative plants, would certainly be much 

 enhanced in beauty by similar alliances. 



Finally, apart from crossing, there is the obtaining of new 

 improved forms by simple selection of the best seedlings, and in 

 this direction ferns are remarkable for the enormous strides they 

 take in their progeny when once a decided variation has been 

 started. I will conclude my paper by exhibiting several slides 

 exemplifying this by two striking examples, viz. P. ang. divisi- 

 lobum plume-sum densum, Jones and Fox, of which the pedigree 

 is shown to consist of but two grades from the norma], and 



