462 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
There are some among our native ferns so un¬ 
like the majority, that they are likely to be over¬ 
looked by those who do not give especial atten¬ 
tion to plants, and to be passed by as belonging 
to some other family. The 
Moonwort ferns are usually 
very puzzling, as they have 
much more succulent fronds 
than most others, and the re¬ 
productive organs, the spores, 
instead of being placed, as 
is most commonly the case, 
in dots upon the back of the 
frond, are collected by them¬ 
selves in a sort of panicle, 
which is really a part of 
the frond so changed by bear¬ 
ing the spore cases, as to look 
quite unlike the fertile por¬ 
tion. The botanical name for 
this genus of ferns is Botrychi- 
um, which is from the Greek 
word for a cluster of grapes, 
to which the fertile por¬ 
tion of the frond bears some 
resemblance. There are about 
five species in our Northern 
Stat s, some of which are rare, 
but one or two quite common 
in rich woods. They have 
clustered fleshy roots from 
which arise a single frond, one- 
half of which is sterile, light 
green, leaf-like, spreading, and 
usually much divided, while 
the sterile portion is erect 
and changed in appearance; 
the engraving shows the two 
parts of the natural size; in 
all the other species the sterile 
frond is sessile, or attached 
directly to the common stalk, 
but in this (B. lunarioides ), 
it has a sort of petiole or leaf¬ 
stalk. This species varies con¬ 
siderably, and the large engraving shows what 
is called the variety obliquum , and the smaller 
one a portion of the variety dissectum. The 
other species will be recognized as belonging 
to the Moonworts, from their general resem¬ 
blance to this. They are called Moonworts, 
because in one species, very rare in this coun¬ 
try, but common in Europe, the divisions of 
the sterile frond are shaped like a lialf-moon. 
The Moonworts are usually to be found in 
July or later, and those who take them up with 
a view to cultivate them, arc likely to be much 
disappointed to find that in spite of all care 
that may be given them, they soon die. We 
have on more than one occasion informed our 
readers of the fact, that the majority of our 
native ferns are deciduous, lasting only during 
the summer season. Those sold by the florists, 
are for the most part evergreens, and those 
who undertake to cultivate native ferns without 
RUSSIAN NETTED CUCUMBER. 
knowing this, are apt to attribute their want of 
success to anything but the right cause. A 
few native species with evergreen fronds, may 
be cultivated in pots, but for the rest, they 
should be planted in the open ground, generally 
all the better if on a rockwork, with the knowl¬ 
edge that their beautiful forms can only be 
enjoyed during the season of growth, and that 
they, like other herbs, will sooner or later go 
into winter quarters. The Moonworts are very 
desirable in an out-door fernery, as their habit 
offers a strong contrast to other genera, and 
they are of the easiest culture, only requiring 
that they shall not be put in too dry a place, 
where their roots will be injured by drouth, 
while they are dormant. In Europe, our 
native species are valued by fern growers, and 
they also have species from Ceylon and New 
Holland, all of which are deciduous like ours, 
and writers on fern-growing, state that when 
grown in pots, these too will fail if the roots 
are allowed to become too dry while dormant. 
---- O -->-«-- 
The Russian Ketted Cucumber. 
Last spring Messrs. Briggs & Brother, of 
Rochester, N. Y., sent us, among other novel¬ 
ties, the seeds of the Russian Netted Cucumber. 
By some oversight these seeds were omitted at 
sowing time, and we were unable to see the 
fruit until this fall, when we received a speci¬ 
men from Messrs. B. K. Bliss & Sons. Accord¬ 
ing to the English seedsmen, this is from the 
Ukraine country, and was first brought to 
notice at the Vienna Exposition, where it 
attracted much attention. The engraving 
shows the general shape, though some speci¬ 
mens are longer in proportion than this; the 
skin is of a dark brown color, and intersected 
in every direction oy light colored lines, which 
run together and form a fine net-work all 
over the surface ; this appearance is apparent¬ 
ly produced by a breaking up of the skin of 
the fruit, and showing a lower lighter colored 
layer through the cracks. This is so unlike an 
ordinary cucumber in appearance, as to deceive 
some experienced horticulturists, who were 
quite unable to say what fruit it was. Great 
hardiness and productiveness are claimed for 
this variety, and it. would be worth growing in 
the garden as a curiosity, were it not, as it is 
said to be, of good quality for the table. 
--- —- -- «■ - 
A Rustic Porch. 
The custom of building ample verandas to 
houses, even to those of quite moderate cost, is 
now, we are glad to say, quite common. Still 
houses, even modern ones, are to be seen, 
especially in the country, without this most 
necessary appendage. Nothing can be more 
inhospitable in appearance than a house with¬ 
out a porch, or stoop, to shelter one from the 
sun or rain while waiting for the door to be 
opened. If one is so unfortunate as to occupy 
one of these desolate-looking porchless houses, 
there is nothing he can do that will so much 
improve its appearance as to put a veranda to 
it, or if he does not care to do that, a simple 
porch over the door will do much to relieve its 
nakedness. A porch built of simple style will 
pay in the comfort it will bring, if one is to 
occupy the house but a single season. Some 
time ago one of our associates brought us a 
sketch of a rustic porch, which some one had 
put over the door of a veiy plain cottage, with 
the effect of changing the ■whole aspect of the 
exterior. The engraving shows how this par¬ 
ticular porch was constructed, and will serve 
as a hint for making a tasteful shelter out of 
very common materials, and there is nothing 
about it which one of very moderate mechanic¬ 
al skill might not undertake. If red cedar can 
be obtained, it is preferable for rustic-work of 
this kind, but other materials will answer if 
cedar is not at hand. A porch of this kind, 
when well covered with vines, will, in many 
cases, be in much .better keeping with the 
house, than one made of regular carpentry 
and costing a much larger sum. 
moonwort ferns—varieties OF Boti-ychium lunarioides. 
