XV. TRICHOMANES. 205 
year. The plant has never shown the least approach to- 
wards producing seeds, although I have seen many plants 
taken from the same locality (Turk's Waterfall, Co. 
Kerry) which have fructified profusely." 
This instance of success (Mr. Ward goes on to state) is 
suggestive of one or two reflections of practical applica- 
tion. " We see, first, how possible it is to grow some 
plants in closed cases in even more than their native lux- 
uriance. I believe it would be very difficult, if not im- 
possible, to find such a patch of Trichomanes as is above 
described, either in Ireland or in any part of the world. 
The next reflection is, that, in obedience to well-known 
physiological laws, whenever the foliage of a plant is de- 
veloped to a greater extent than usual, the tendency to 
produce fruit becomes proportionally diminished, and some- 
times, as in the above instance, ceases altogether not one 
frond out of the two hundred and thirty fructifying. It 
would be interesting to watch the effect of exposure to 
stronger light, and of a diminished supply of water. We 
further learn that ferns, like other plants, vary much as 
to their natural states, and that, in order to grow even the 
British ferns in one case, it will be necessary to pay at- 
tention to their respective wants. 
" In order to grow all our ferns under one roof, it would, 
of course, be necessary to fulfil their varying conditions 
of growth ; and this might be easily effected by building 
a model of some antique ruin, or by imitating some moun- 
tainous ravine, or other bit of natural scenery, with water 
trickling down from the elevated portion of the rock, and 
flowing out of the house in a continuous stream at the 
bottom. In such a house, without any artificial heat, our 
ferns would attain a luxuriant growth, unimaginable by 
those who know them only under ordinary circumstances. 
Each fern could be supplied with a proper base of earth 
or rock, and each could have the amount of light most 
suited to its fullest development. The Trichomanes 
might there revel on its Turk rock, and gladden the eyes 
of the beholder with its lovely fronda spangled with 
