120 
THE FERN PARADISE. 
no pretension to be a hand-book. It is in sub- 
stance “ a plea for the ferns/’ and as such it 
goes forth to the world. But it aims at being 
widely useful. Many ferns which grow in lovely 
Devonshire are never seen in other counties ; but 
the county is poor indeed which cannot furnish 
a few specimens of what are called the common 
varieties of our native ferns. 
In the following pages of description the 
simplest definitions will be given ; and in addi- 
tion to these, under the name of each fern 
information will be furnished as to the particular 
situations in which it grows, the method of culti- 
vation, the soil, and other matters which will be of 
interest for the fern-lover. 
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