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CHARACTERS, DISTRIBUTION, ETC., OF FERNS. 
Lygodium scandens (Jig . e), L. circinata, and L. palmata, are true climbers, reaching four 
feet or more in height, and are very elegant plants. 
The following remarks by Mr. Scott, superintendent of the plant department in the 
large Conservatory at Chatsworth, “On Raising Tropical Ferns from Spores,” are submitted 
with a view to meet the growing interest in this generally-admired tribe of plants, as well 
as to aid the amateur who may feel desirous of adding new or rare species to his collection, 
or increasing the number of those already possessed : — 
Every one who has made the attempt is aware how difficult, in many cases, it is to 
induce the spores of some species of Ferns to germinate. In all cases, this difficulty must 
arise from one of two causes. Either the spores must have been gathered immature, and, 
consequently, unfit for the purpose of reproduction ; or, if the spores were properly 
matured, subsequent to sowing, the conditions necessary to insure germination were not 
secured. Excess of moisture will soon destroy spores in every respect fit for the purpose 
of the cultivator; but the condition as to moisture is so easy of control, that, from 
observation, I am persuaded the want of success in germinating Fern spores is chargeable 
not so much on any deficiency or excess in the conditions used to induce germination, as 
on the indiscriminate gathering, and, as a natural consequence, the immature state of 
the spores. 
In collecting Fern spores for sowing, the first point to attend to is, always to gather 
them from leaves grown and matured during summer. Leaves produced in winter are 
often destitute of spores, or, if spores are present, they rarely can be made to germinate. 
The best spores will invariably be found on the best developed leaves, such leaves being 
of summer growth. Having selected a leaf of the sort referred to, with the fructification 
well matured, place a sheet of writing-paper under the leaf, strike the upper surface of the 
leaf gently; when a sufficient number of spore-cases have been removed, expose them, 
on the paper, to a moderate heat, and, by the aid of a pocket lens, examine carefully the 
surface of the paper, on which the spores, if present, will have the appearance of dust. 
Sow in pots, well drained, and in equal parts of silver-sand and finely sifted peat : the 
spores do not require covering, but do best sown on the surface. Water should be given 
with care both before and after the spores germinate. When the seedlings have formed the 
second leaf, move them from the seed-pot, in patches, three or four plants in each patch ; 
plant four or five of these patches together in other pots, in which they may remain until 
the plants become sufficiently large to be easily separated by hand. 
Many species of Ferns are readily increased by divisions of the rhizome, and some are 
viviparous : to such the above remarks do not strictly apply — although, even in the case 
of these, increasing by spores might be pursued as a subject of observation ; and, as such, 
cannot fail being otherwise than interesting as well as instructive, especially in reference 
to the genus Gymnogramma. 
The variety of forms obtained in this genus from spores would, indeed, seem to favour 
the idea that, even in Ferns, something very much like hybridising takes place. 
So long as only one farinaceous species of Gymnogramma is cultivated in a collection, 
so long may seedlings be raised from that species, differing in no respect from the parent ; 
but no sooner are several of the farinaceous species cultivated together, than the character 
of the offspring differs from that of the parent. 
In the large conservatory here, an immense number of seedling Ferns spring up 
yearly, on the moist and shady parts of the rockwork, on which the duplicates and many of 
the strong-growing Ferns are planted out. The spores of Asplenium , Aspidium , Adiantum, 
Doodia, Diplazium , Gymnogramma , Lomaria, and Pteris, germinate freely on the perpen- 
dicular surface of stones, which have become partially covered with minute species of 
Confervse and Mosses. But in no genus of Ferns, except Gymnogramma , in the 
Chatsworth collection, nor in any other collection, have I witnessed a similar disposition, 
on the part of the seedlings, to differ from the character of the parent. Here, then, a 
question naturally presents itself. Are seedling Ferns in the genus Gymnogramma , and 
of the sort just referred to, to be regarded as Hybrids, or only as differences produced by 
circumstances unconnected with fecundation, and unequally affecting the seedlings ? 
