114 FERNS AND FERNERIES. 
THE FERN NURSERY, SALE, 
RE-PRINTED FROM 
“THE GARDENER’S 6HRONI6EE.” 
:o: 
Perhaps the majority of the horticultural fraternity are more familiar with that modest and truthful 
notice in the advertising columns of the horticultural papers — “Ferns a speciality” — than they are 
with the most beautiful and varied collection of Ferns which Messrs. W. & J. Birkenhead have now 
brought together in their nurseries. I had long promised myself the delight of inspecting their 
collection, and the event came off at last, and although I went with large expectations they were 
more than fully met with the rich and varied multitudes of Ferndom there associated. A veritable 
Fern world ! said one to oneself, all the while filled to overflowing with the joy which arises from the 
true appreciation of the delicate greenery, and infinitude of differentiations revealed in Ferns. Here 
they are by the thousand, everything elbowed out of the way, and for the matter of that, elbowing each 
other out of the way until every inch of available space is replete with interest and beauty. Many old 
friends are recognised, and many new ones observed; indeed one was immensely struck with the rarities 
and fresh species and varieties here assembled, each a-nd all forming part and parcel of the life 
of their fortunate possessors. Come here, ye members of the gardening fraternity, and ye who admire 
Fern life, and confess your ignorance of the numerous gems Dame Nature has been pleased to pass 
into existence without the adjuncts of floral dress ! Confess also, ye members of the fraternity, your 
lack of taste (forgive me— refined taste, I mean), because so few Ferns are grown, when so wide a field 
of beauty presents itself to select from ! The idea amongst gardeners in this utilitarian age seems to 
be “Ferns for cutting.” I would fain urge “grow Ferns for themselves.” But I must proceed to 
mention a few of the best and most striking Ferns noticed during an examination extending over 
ten hours— a time far too short— but a very rigid selection must be made to keep oneself within 
reasonable limits ; for to mention anything like what is here to be seen would be compiling a huge 
catalogue— a matter so admirably accomplished by Messrs. Birkenhead in their Fern catalogue, 
which is a work of art, and replete with valuable information, and one was happy to see it duly appre- 
ciated in the pages of the Gardener's Chronicle very recently. The utilitarian Ferns are here in 
enormous quantities, while the enthusiast will find much that is unsurpassed, I venture to suggest, 
even in our national collection at Kew, which, by the way, one is happy to learn has improved so 
much of late. Without further appearance of digression I will note the good things seen in the 
Home Nursery. — Here are several low, mostly span-roofed, houses, filled to overflowing — and let 
us first walk through the propagating-house, and just fancy what meets you— countless multitudes 
of sporelings in all stages of infant happy growth !— what a host in thimble pots, other hosts in pans, 
others not pricked off, while multitudes are in their humble prothallic condition working out the 
reproduction of the Fern world! “ Hidden and unseen,” cryptogamic or “obscurely wedded” members 
they of the green world, as the sagacious Linnasus’ name suggests. Here broad masses of Adiantum 
macrophyllum, cuneatum, gracillimum, fulvum, polyphyllum, Aspleniums, Gymnogrammas, 
Nephrodiums, Cheilanthus, Gleichenias, Pteris, the new and very striking Selaginella grandis, meet 
you on all sides, and beneath ’good batches of Gleichenias are being raised from spores. A most 
charming lot of G. flabellata was specially attractive, while many varieties also find a congenial home. 
It seems well-nigh impossible for one to write systematically regarding this collection, for the 
forms which arise before one’s vision are so numerous— each deserving mention. It will be best 
perhaps to pass the primary genera in review, and begin with the Maidenhair Ferns 
(Adiantums). A. Luddemannianum is especially attractive, with its agglomerated pinnae and 
dark slender stipes — perhaps the most distinct Adiantum of hybrid origin; it does best in 
an intermediate temperature. A. dolabriforme, grown in baskets and pyramids of pots 
inserted one in the other, is extremely pretty, with its crescent-shaped pinnae, and elongated 
fronds bearing at the extremities young plantlets, which under proper conditions will speedily 
form little colonies, A. caudatum is another species admirably adapted for baskets, and 
