4 THE fERN WOItLP OF AUSTRAIyU, 
ON COLLECTING. 
The feathery fern, the feathery fern, 
An emerald sea it waveth wide. 
And seems to flash, and gleam and burn, 
Like the gentle flow of a golden tide ; 
On a bushy slope or a leafy glade. 
Amid the twilight depth of shade, 
By interlacing branches made, 
And trunks with lichens glorified. — A?me Pratt. 
A Few Eemaeks on Collecting and Cultivating Ferns. 
In collecting specimens for cultivation to insure success with kinds 
having underground running stems, such for instance as the tall scrub 
Maidenhair, it is necessary to select only close growing portions for 
removal, the way to find which is to follow the course of some creek 
until a place is found where a quantity of the surface soil has been 
washed away and the running stems of the plant desired either left 
bare or quite near the surface, here select portions of the rootstock 
for removal. With those of a tufted growth it is also better to 
select plants found growing on old rotten logs than such as are 
found growing in the ground, although these latter will likely appear 
much healthier. As each kind is collected carefully shake off the 
soil, wrap up each plant in soft wet paper and stow them away in 
the collecting bag ; this mode will be found far preferable to tbe 
usual way of carrying home a quantity of soil with each plant. 
It is most necessary with ferns that they should be planted quite 
shallow. The growing point of rootstock should be kept well above 
the earth's surface. To accomplish this is not easy except the 
planter has some experience, the following will be found an effective 
way to remedy the evil of deep planting. Take two small pieces of 
rock or broken pot, place the fibrous roots of the fern with a sprinkle 
of fine soil between these, plant altogether holding the mass tight 
with the thumb and finger of the left hand while the outer soil is 
pressed close by the right. As a rule most terrestial species 
succeed best when j)laiited out on rockwork the form of which must 
depend much upon the place it is to occupy and taste of person 
forming it, the primary thing to bear in mind is that the situation 
be well sheltered. The rock used in building should be of a hard 
porus nature, the spaces between the larger portions of rock should 
be well filled in with smaller portions of the same material mixed 
with good light scrub soil, to which if possible add a small quantity 
of broken charcoal and white sand. Be careful that the drainage 
is complete as no fern will thrive where water is allowed to stagnate 
about its roots. 
In planting care should be taken to give to each, kind a situation 
as near as possible resembling that in wMch it would be found 
