9 8 
THE FERN WORLD 
fronds all the winter, and would, therefore, be easy to find. 
But it is not so, of course, with the deciduous species, which 
include the most fragile of the herbaceous kinds. 
Ferns, however, are so hardy that not only in winter and 
early spring, but throughout spring, summer, and autumn, 
they can be uprooted and transplanted with but little injury, 
beyond perhaps the disfigurement of one or two of the grow- 
ing fronds. And even this minimum of injury may he 
avoided by very careful handling, though should it be 
inflicted, the plant will not be long in supplying the place of 
its lost fronds. 
We may look upon Fern collecting therefore as a delight- 
ful pursuit, which can be followed all the year round, and if 
this were not so, it would undoubtedly he deprived of half 
its attraction. But it must be remembered that success in 
removing Ferns from their habitats during the summer, more 
especially during the prevalence of hot weather, will more 
depend upon the method which is adopted and upon the care 
which is exercised during the operation than will be the case 
during the winter or early spring. If, however, necessary 
precautions are adopted, Ferns may, as we have said, be 
freely taken up at any time. 
Where a fern-collecting tour is decided on, the collector 
should be provided with a small garden fork, a stout chisel, 
a hammer, a strong clasped knife, a trowel, and a covered 
basket — made either of rush or wicker — or other receptacle 
for carrying the Ferns. Should it be determined to hunt for 
very large specimens, it would be necessary to add a spade 
to the implements named. But in such a case special means 
of conveyance would need to be provided from some point, as 
near as possible to the locality from which the Ferns are to 
be taken ; and indeed such conveyance would be desirable 
whenever Fern hunting on a large scale is to be indulged in. 
In an ordinary way, however, it would be found that the 
