182 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
giniana. also the graceful Hemlock Spruce (Teuga Cana- 
densis), together with Thuya occidentalis (western Ar- 
boritae), White Pine (Pinus Strobus), Cupressus Ari- 
zonica. 
* * * 
Soon we shall be in the season of the planting of 
Dahlias, at least we can study the lists that are reaching 
us daily. The Dahlia is the queen of flowers of the later 
summer and early autumn, followed by the hardy chrysan- 
themums for the successional display out of doors. 
Those of my readers who are very keen enthusiasts in 
regard to Dahlias have a society all their own, The Amer- 
ican Dahlia Society (Secretary, J. Harrison Dick, 1426 
73d street, Brooklyn, N. Y.), which publishes bulle- 
tins telling of its work, its exhibitions, its trials of varie- 
ties, and furnishing cultural hints as well. What we 
have to do at the present time is to prepare the ground 
liberally and well. A fairly open position is desirable 
and among- the best are these : Geisha, Hampton Court, 
Queen Esther, Dr. Perry and Queen Wilhelmina among 
Peony varieties ; A. D. Livoni, Dorothy Peacock, Dreer's 
White, W. W. Rawson, Bon Ton and Charles Lanier 
among "show" Dahlias ; Sunshine, Xerissa, Domitea. 
Snowclad, Little May and Darkness among pompons ; 
Minnie McCullough, Papa Charmet, Souvenir de Gus- 
tave Doazon, Mont Blanc and Golden Gate among deco- 
rative kinds ; together with an almost endless array in 
the cactus section. Some of these may be mentioned in 
next month's Chronicle. 
One of the best instances of sporting or variation in 
plants is provided in the fern called Xephrolepis exaltata. 
First of all may I be allowed to dip just for a second 
into the botany of the fern family ? Ferns represent the 
great flowerless section of the plant kingdom. Their 
fructifying or reproducing organs are hidden, hence the 
botanists' term "cryptgamous" plants which is applied to 
them and all so-called flowerless plants subjects. The 
Horsetails ( Equisetums), Mosses, and Lycopodiums are 
classed with the ferns. Gray's Botany divides the ferns 
into five sub-families as follows (other classifications may 
differ) : Polypodium family, Tree-fern family. Filmy- 
fern family, Schizaea family, mostly small ferns; and 
Osmunda or "Flowering fern" family. Some authori- 
ties make an additional sub-family of Glecheniaceae. 
The classifying of ferns is based on the peculiarities in 
the form of the spore cases, or in their number or posi- 
tion, or in the development of the ring ("annulus") that 
surrounds the spore. It would be vain in a note of this 
description to try to go further into this botanical aspect 
of the subject, and in any case we, as gardeners, know 
or can identify a large number of different ferns by their 
general character without going very far into the scien- 
tific study of their spore cases. The Nephrolepis are a 
small family, or genus to be exact, consisting of seven 
species, and each of these is tropical. For that reason 
they are best cultivated in a warm house. By careful 
handling and probably by a process of naturalization, 
some have become fitted to grow in temperate atmos- 
pheres, as for instance the Boston fern. Xephrolepis is 
a Greek word referring to the kidney shape of the spore 
case. Of the seven kinds of wild Xephrolepis, the most 
commonly grown in greenhouses is exaltata, the name 
in this case evidently being meant to describe the up- 
ward, spreading, "exalted" form of the fronds. 
This fern has probably four dozen well-marked varie- 
ties today, many of them being favorites with commer- 
cial growers. In a chart recently published by R. C. 
Benedict, of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, 
X. Y., he shows what he believes to be the successive 
development of this fern from its bold, ordinary pinnate 
type to the lace-like, filmy fern that bears the seven 
names hereunder. The steps in this interesting chain are 
seen in the "genealogical tree" as under: 
Xephrolepis Exaltata. 
Xephrolepis Exaltata Bostoniensis. 
Nephrolepis Exaltata Bostonenis Piersonii. 
Xephrolepis Exaltata Bostonenis Piersonii 
Elegantissima. 
Xephrolepis Exaltata Bostonenis Piersonii 
Elegantissima Superiussima. 
Nephrolepis Exaltata Bostonenis Piersonii 
Elegantissima Superiussima Mi'Scosa. 
Lately there came into my hands the Journal of 
the Kew Guild for 1916. The Kew Guild is a union 
of past and present members of the garden staff of 
the Royal Gardens, Kew England, the famous botani- 
cal and horticultural establishment on the banks of 
the Thames, a few miles west of London. It contains 
the annual report of the Guild ; a record of the annual 
dinner of its members; a full list of living members; 
obituaries of those who died during the year ; and let- 
ters from Kewites who are in far distant parts of the 
world. One can feel the bond of union, invisible though 
it be, that binds the members of this remarkable guild. 
And many of the Kewites have made notable records in 
horticulture, not only in England and the British Domin- 
ions all over the world, but here in America. Ernest FI. 
Wilson is perhaps the best known of those who are now 
domiciled in the United States of America. I had the 
pleasure of meeting him in 1897 or 1898 before ever he 
left Kew. He had then to make those sometimes hazard- 
ous trips in western China, but to his credit there now 
stands scores of notable hardy garden plants, trees and 
shrubs. In America we have a large number of Old 
Kewites, and twenty-five of them met on the first evening 
of the Xew York Spring Flower Show at a reunion, 
when an American branch of the Guild was formed, with 
M. Free, head gardener of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 
Brooklyn, N. Y., as president and S. R. Candler, South- 
ampton, L. I., as secretary. 
A SOUTHERN CLIME COUNTRY ESTATE 
(Continued from page 195.) 
use of. The flower gardens cover several acres and show 
the skill of the gardener, George Willis. Roses thrive 
well in this section of the south and bloom continuously, 
especially Maman Cochet, Killarney and Madam Lam- 
bard. Many of the Hybrid Perpetuals also do well, start- 
ing to flower in March and continuing till the weather 
becomes too cold in December. Leaving the pleasure 
grounds one comes to the old English style of a walled-in 
kitchen garden where almost every kind of vegetable is 
found growing all through winter. Flower borders line 
the walks, bright with Verbenas, Tansies, Phlox Drum- 
mondi, sweet peas. etc. Most all the vegetables are 
matured at this season of the year with the exception of 
peas. These are gathered from cold frames ; also New 
Zealand spinach, lettuce, cauliflower, etc., while the 
greenhouses are also used for vegetables, chiefly toma- 
toes, cucumbers and string beans. In the garden are cab- 
bage, broccoli, kale, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, carrots, 
beets, turnips, kohlrabi, parsnips, onions, etc., practically 
all of which have been gathered continually since the first 
of December. Irish potatoes planted in September give 
a supply through the winter fresh from the ground. 
