BRISTLE FERN. 
319 
years has been in the most healthy and vigorous condition, but 
it has rarely shown any indication of producing seed. Mr. An- 
drews appears to have been still more successful : he says, in 
September, 1841, I formed a case purposely for cultivating this 
fern. I lined the bottom with zinc, and covered the frame-work 
with oiled lawn. I then planted my specimens in w^ell-drained 
pots, in a compost of loam and coarse sand, interspersed with 
pieces of turf. I also suspended the roots [rhizomata] across 
the roof of the case, attached to rods covered with bass-matting 
and moss. The plants were kept cool, and were well moistened 
daily, and I have now (Oct. 24, 1843) a splendid display, the 
entire case being filled with fronds of large and strong growth. 
No other fern will thrive well in the case with the Trichomanes, 
the treatment required to cause the Trichomanes to flourish 
being destructive to the other. The Trichomanes will live or 
even grow lazily in a glass with other ferns, but will never attain 
a vigorous state of growth. The cultivators of Trichomanes 
are under a mistake in supposing that the plant was in a fine 
state of fructification, merely because the involucra had been 
produced. I have never seen the setse perfectly exserted in 
cultivation, and the capsules attached in a ripening state. It 
was late in September when I discovered the Glouin Caragh 
plant, and I collected a quantity of the capsules, but I could not 
detect the sporidia thrown out by the bursting of the ring of 
the capsules. I scattered the capsules on well-moistened pieces 
of turf, on patches of growing mosses, and on a compost of 
loam and sand : after a lapse of 
four months those on the turf and 
moss became green, gelatinous 
masses ; at the end of eight 
months they became of a lively 
green colour, and had much the 
appearance of a Jungermannia^ 
cellular and beautifully reticu- 
lated; and now, at the end of 
twelve months, they have sent out a wiry and rigid rachis, with 
an attempt at the formation of pinnules. 1 send you rough 
sketches of them.” [See the figures in the margin.] 
