February 7 , 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
103 
plished by the use of an extra frame or bellglass, so that the dry heat of 
the pipes or flue cannot possibly come in contact with the exceedingly 
delicate foliage of such kinds as Hymenophyllum flexuosum, caudi- 
culatum, and ciliatum, Trichomanes angustatum, T. trichoideum, 
T. Luschnathianum, T. pyxidiferum, and others from tropical countries. 
[An example of a beautiful Filmy Fern, Todea pellucida, is 
shown in fig. 1G. It is of more slender habit, with looser fronds 
than T. superba, but one of the most elegant of the genus.] 
Next to the Filmies in their love of shade and atmospheric 
moisture come the Aspleniums, some of the Arthropteris, Dictyo- 
gramma, Menisciura, Scolopendriums, and most of the Selaginellas, 
which revel in conditions approaching those in which the Filmies 
thrive, though being benefited by a little more light and a somewhat 
greater circulation of air. 
Passing from these shade-loving Ferns to the opposite extreme 
we. come to the Pelkeas. [Fig. 17 shows a plant of Pellsea ornithopus 
brachyptera, a graceful little Fern] Cheilauthes, Gymmogrammas, 
Ceterach, Nothochlmnas, and Woodsias, Ferns which could hardly exist 
in the close atmosphere of the Todea house, but which, on the other 
hand, revel in abundance of light and an almost constant circulation 
of air among their foliage, hence the best situation for such plants 
is very near the glass on a shelf ; but as there are exceptions to most 
rules, and so also in these general remarks, I may mention Asple¬ 
niums Ruta-muraria and Trichomanes as plants fitted for the same 
situation as the Pellaeas and Woodsias, remembering, of course, that 
while these are enumerated with the Gymnogrammas as plants 
requiring extra light and circulation of air, there must still be kept 
in view the different degrees of heat essential to the different subjects ; 
for while the Woodsias will do in a cold house into which the frost 
may enter, the Pellseas and some Cheilauthes, also some of the 
Gymnogrammas, such as triangularis and trifoliata, in a cool house 
from -which the frost is just excluded, Gymnogrammas Laucheana, 
chrysophylla, peruviana, &c., must have a stove temperature, still 
plenty of light near the glass, and a circulation of air created by the 
hot-water pipes or flue, the driest part of the stove being the best 
position for the gold and silver species, especially during winter. 
Intermediate between the two extreme classes already mentioned 
— i.e., those requiring shade and atmospheric moisture and those 
doing better in light and free circulation of air, we have the majority 
of the members of the family, of which it must suffice to mention 
a few of the leading genera as representative of hundreds of species 
and varieties fitted to embellish the stove, the warm greenhouse, the 
cool greenhouse, the dwelling-room, and the open-air rock garden 
where shelter is attainable. Such, then, are the species and varieties 
of the genera Adiantum, Alsophila, Anapeltis, Athyrium, Blechnum, 
Calypteris, Cibotium, Cyathea, Cyrtomium, Cystopteris, Davallia, 
Dicksonia, Diplazium, Doodia, Gleichenia, Lastrea [see fig. 18 for 
a good representation of Lastrea Richardsii multifida, a useful com¬ 
pact-growing ciested Fern], Leucostegia, Lomaria, Nephrodium, 
Nephrolepis, Osmunda, Platyloma, Polypodium, Polystichum, Pteris, 
&c., many of which are much more easy to manage than some of the 
first-mentioned families, and will generally do with a compost of 
equal parts good loam, leaf soil, and cinders, to which one-half part 
sand and one-half of charcoal would be a good addition. In the 
absence of leaf soil good peat may be used for some species, but by 
no means for Adiantums. I am not so much in favour of that 
generally admired ingredient as some writers seem to be, except 
for such strong-growing semi-aquatics as the Osmundas and Lastrea 
thelypteris (commonly called the Marsh Fern), and a few others. 
(To be continued.) 
Germination of Peas. — As a proof of the mild season and the 
heat in the ground, Laxton’s William I. Pea, sown on January 12th, 
was plainly showing through the surface on January 31st; thus in' 
nineteen days from the time of sowing they were showing above 
ground. I ought to state the seed was sown on a south border that 
had the protection of a wall some 8 feet in height, the border having 
been bastard-trenched a few days previous ; thus the ground was in 
first-rate condition for the seed, which was sown as received from the 
seedsman. The sample was good, and I thought too much dried, but 
my fears were groundless. All vegetation appears to have made great 
strides during the past week.— A. J. Sanders. 
VINES BLEEDING. 
I AM afraid that if I were to allow “ Non-Believer ” the cutting and 
wounding of my Vines as he proposes, it would be done with “ malice 
aforethought ” as far as the Vines are concerned; and as they are 
accustomed to be ministered to only by loving hands, they might find out 
the difference. On looking over what I have written I cannot find any¬ 
thing which can be construed in the way your correspondent puts it, but 
if others think there are passages which can be so interpreted I am glad 
he has called attention to them. What I have endeavoured to say is that 
the bleeding when it takes place is little more than an emission of water, 
and that the stores of food are not materially exhausted thereby. 1 have 
had some Vines bleed as I thought very seriously, while others of the 
same variety, apparently in the same state of vigorous health and treated 
exactly the same, have not bled ; and yet after growth had started those 
which had bled profusely fLurished as well as those which had not bled 
at all. I cannot give a reason why some should bleed and others should 
not, neither can I say why bleeding sometimes comes on, ceases suddenly, 
and then comes on again. I have thought sometimes the weather or the 
temperature made the difference, but on following up any clue which I 
thought I had got hold of I have not been able to go far without 
experiencing a check, and there is still much that is mysterious about the 
matter. 
The sentence which your correspondent alludes to is probably the 
following, and is from the Journal of November 22nd, at page 438 :— 
“ The liquid which comes from a Vine stem when it is pruned too late 
in the season is, I believe, very little, if anything, more than water ; it is 
perfectly tasteless, and beyond keeping the wound open probably does 
no harm.” I thought it was sufficiently plain in this sentence that Vines 
can be pruned too late, and also that cutting and wounding was an evil— 
a necessary one it may be—not to be repeated for mere amusement. 
Another sentence which bears on the subject is from the Journal of 
December 20th, at page 529, where, after citing an extract from Prantl’s 
“ Text Book of Botany,” describing the movements of water in plants, I 
say that u Prantl’s theory agrees with what has been guessed at by several 
practical gardeners, and recorded within the last few years in this 
Journal—namely, that little or no harm happens from the bleeding of a 
healthy Vine, as there is little or nothing besides water exuded ; and 
there is, or ought to be, always an ample supply at the command of the 
plant to replace that which is so lost.” Here I thought it was sufficiently 
clear that I was giving other people's opinions and theories, but if I am 
not clear I wish now to repeat what I have often said in this Journal, 
that late pruning is decidedly injurious to any plant. I have always 
made a practice of completing the pruning, both indoors and out, as far 
as I could, of all fruit-bearing plants before Christmas, including even 
the Peach and the Fig, for all plants, whether they bleed visibly or not, 
are decidedly injured by amputations performed just before growth 
commences* 
“ Dugald’s ” letter on “ Vine Economy ” is interesting, but not con¬ 
vincing. Supposing we grant all be states to be correct, and some of it 
I am willing to grant, there yet remains the fact that \ ines start making 
leaf-growth* first, and other plants, as far as I know, start root-growth 
