4 
The Fern Garden . 
CHAPTER II. 
BELIEVE no one can thoroughly enjoy or 
understand ferns until after having actually 
hunted for them in hedgerows, woods, and 
amongst rocks, and rivulets, and waterfalls. The lady 
fern may be allowed to sing, as Madame Vestris did 
once upon a time : 
Through, the woods, through the woods. 
Follow and find me. 
Search every hollow, and dingle, and dell, 
I leave hut the print of my footstep behind me; 
So those who would find me must search for me well. 
I cannot afford space to enlarge upon the joys of 
fern-collecting, the pic-nicing, archseologico-exploring, 
and holiday perambulating that may be associated with 
the sport. Kindly imagine all this and save me the 
expenditure of space on anything but the business in 
hand. Eerns are so widely distributed that wherever a 
rural walk is possible, it is almost certain that some¬ 
where in the district ferns may be found. The south¬ 
western counties of England constitutethe homeparadise 
of the fern collector, but, as we must find our happi¬ 
ness where our lot is cast, it is better to make the most 
of the ferns within our reach than to repine if Cornwall 
and Devon happen to be terra incognita . In the neigh¬ 
bourhood of London are many localities rich in ferns, 
