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THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
lare; it is of a darker green, more polished surface, and the 
divisions of the fronds are set closer together, even to the 
point of overlapping; it is very bristly and very scaly. Out- 
doors it needs protection in winter. 
Asplenium (Spleen-wort; Lady-fern). — A large genus of 
ferns, containing numerous British species and one or two 
hardy exotics. They an; for the most part dwarf or of medium 
height, and several of the dwarfest should be accorded a front 
place in the fern-rockery. The majority, too, are evergreen. 
A. Adiantum-nigrum (Black Maidenhair Spleenwort) has glossy 
green triangular fronds of leathery texture, much valued for 
cutting. They average 8in. in height and sin. wide. There 
are numerous varieties, the best being acutum, more pointed 
fronds ; grandiceps, crested ; variegatum, variegated. A. 
angustifolium, a deciduous North American plant, reaches a 
height of 2ft. ; fronds narrow, 4 to 6in. A. Ceterach (Scaly 
Spleenwort) is better known as Ceterach officinarum. It is a 
native evergreen, with densely scaly fronds, 4 to 6in. long, and 
of leather texture. A good wall fern, also drought resister; 
even when apparently dead it will revive on application of 
moisture. Likes limestone in its soil. A. ebeneum is a larger- 
growing N. American fern, otherwise closely resembling our 
native A. trichomanes. Fronds a foot high with black midrib. 
A. Filix-foemina, otherwise known as Athyrium Filix-fcemina, 
is the Lady fern, and one of the most elegant of our native 
ferns. Fronds from 1 to 3ft. high by 6 to i2in. broad, finely 
divided and plume-like. It likes a good loamy soil with plenty 
of moisture at the roots, and as little direct sunshine as 
possible ; it favours the waterside and where the dew lies long. 
Propagated by division and by spores. There are innumerable 
varieties, some of the best being acrocladon, branched and 
crested ; americanum, same as type but with pink midrib ; 
apicale, dwarf and crested ; corymbiferum, tall, arching and 
heavily crested; Elworthii, broad and crested; Frizelliae (Tat- 
ting Fern), very narrow fronds; F. cristatum, crested; plumo- 
sum, large and finely divided ; p. multifidum, the same crested ; 
setigerum, finely divided and bristly ; Vernoniae cristatum, 
wavy and crested ; Victoriae, a crested form, in which the pinnae 
are divided to one midrib, and one part projects upwards and 
the other half downwards, resulting in a lattice-like effect. A. 
fontanum is a very pretty dwarf European fern ; fronds 3 to 6in. 
long by i£in. broad, finely cut ; requires a sheltered position 
and a compost of sandy peat, broken brick and mortar rubbish. 
A. (Athyrium) goringianum pictum is one of the few variegated 
ferns. It is a deciduous Japanese plant, about a foot high; 
the divided fronds have a claret-coloured midrib, a grey band 
on either side, and the rest green. Requires a sheltered 
