BRITISH FERNS. 
9 
Or two of compost thrown over them, so that when the burr 
is let down into its place its possible roughness does no harm. 
In the small chinks the Spleenworts will be at home, and in the 
larger stations the other species must be arranged with due regard 
to size. Ferns requiring special soils should have stations dug 
out and filled accordingly. 
Osmunda regal is, being a bog Fern, must have a peaty station 
near the bottom of the rockery ; L. montana, a yellow loamy one, 
half-way up, and so on, while lime-loving Ferns, such as the 
Limestone Polypody and L. rigida, should have a spadeful of old 
mortar mixed with the soil in these stations. By attending to 
these little points a much more comprehensive selection can 
be grown successfully than if one and the same compost, 
irrespective of likes and dislikes, be used for all. The early 
spring is the best time of all for starting a rockery, but in point 
of fact it can be made at any season, provided care be taken to 
prevent drought killing Ihe plants before they are properly 
established. For Ferns with travelling rootstocks, like the Poly- 
podies, a fair space must be left, and in any case it is very 
unwise to fill the rockery at the outset with closely-planted Ferns. 
If they thrive they will speedily enough be shouldering one 
another for room, to the great detriment of their individual 
beauty, hence it is well to plant widely apart, and so defer this 
evil as long as possible. One other point is the advisability of 
planfng single crowns instead of clumps. If you have clumps 
of several crowns, pull or cut them all apart, and either plant 
them separately or give all but one away, since, as already 
stated, the fronds and general development of a single crown 
Fern far and away excel those of a member of a crowd. 
Frames. 
For many of the medium-growing species, such as the Blech- 
nums, Polypodies, Spleenworts, and Hart’s-tongues, frame culture 
permits the formation of very charming groups where each species 
is kept to itself, and as the glass prevents much of that weather 
damage which is unavoidable in the open, such frames can be 
utilised for small growing delicate varieties of the larger species as 
well. As regards the frames themselves, any ordinary form with 
a sliding light suffices, but one 2\ feet high at back by 2 feet or 
18 inches in front, according to depth, answers all purposes. A 
station drained as above, and provided with soil suitable to the 
species intended to be grown, must be made the size of the frame, 
which is then simply set on, with the light sloping to the north or 
north-east, and here again it is well if the midday or early 
afternoon sun be warded off by a wall or trees. If not, a movable 
