June 15. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
197 
when it blooms in such a grand style as my cottager’s 
Stock, above described, the trouble will be thought little 
of, and they will be the cultivator’s pride and reward 
for these extra pains. 
I see, in many gardens, these Stocks grown in the 
ordinary careless way, more than half of them dead, 
the greater part of those that are left alive with hollow, 
decayed stems, the flowers all variegated, small, and 
puny. No wonder they are unsatisfactory; and, gene¬ 
rally, the blame is laid upon the seedsman, saying, lie 
had sent a bad sort; whereas, it was bad culture, in 
every point, that had led to such a poor lot of plants 
and dowers. 
Fine double Stocks arcsometimns increased by cuttings, 
but I never saw plants so increased that produced good 
blooms; neither is there any necessity to resort to such a 
'practice, for seedlings generally produce a sufficient 
number of double flowers. • 
I, when a boy, had my bit of garden, and grew, 
amongst other things, my favourite Stocks; and even to 
this day I remember how successful I was in having a 
large proportion of double flowers. 1 ascribed my 
success to keeping my seed a year before sowing it, that 
is, seed saved this year, 1854, would not be sown till 
1850. Whether there is anything certainly true in that 
notion I cannot say; but one thing I am certain of, 
that I had more than usual amount of double flowers 
in the same number of plants. T. Afpi.eby. 
(To ho continued.) 
STOVE FERNS. 
(Continued from pa<je 17 0.) 
FOLYBOTEYA. 
Pot.vrotrva cYr.ixnrticA. (Round).—This is a climbing 
Fern, from the moist woods of Jamaica, where it runs up 
the trunks of trees to the height of twenty or thirty 
feet. The climbing Ferns, of which I have already de¬ 
scribed some species that have the same habit, and shall 
have one or two more to mention, are not only curious* 
and interesting, but are also useful as a shade to the 
plants below, whether low-growing Ferns, Orchids, or 
Stove Plants. 1 have had Lygodium stcandena covering 
the entire roof of a small Orchid-house, and, seen be¬ 
tween the eye and the light of the roof, the seed-vessels 
were perfectly visible and very beautiful. Climbing Ferns 
are desirable, also, because they take up so little room ; 
they may either be planted in large pots, or square 
boxes, or planted out in a border made for the purpose. 
As they grow up, they should be tied to an upright pil¬ 
lar, and when they reach the roof may be trained any 
way the fancy of the cultivator may incline. It is a 
strong growing Fern, bearing fertile and barren fronds. 
The former are doubly tlirice-divided, or bi-tripiunate ; 
contracted and round, growing erect. Seed-vessels on 
every pinnate of the fertile fronds. Barren fronds grow 
only two or three feet high : it is the seed-bearing ones 
that climb. Easily increased by dividing the creeping 
rhi/.oma. There are several species in South America, 
but only this one is cultivated in Britain. 
POLYPODIUM. . 
A large assemblage of Ferns, of which many are 
natives of this country. It is an ancient genus, having 
been formed by the celebrated Linnaeus. The name 
alludes to the root-stock, polys many, pitits a foot—the 
rhizoma having many divisions. The genus has been 
much reduced in number of species, being now confined 
to such as have naked seed-vessels with pinnate, forked, or 
simple veins. As the genus is well-known, I shall notice 
a few of the most interesting or beautiful. 
P. eieusuji (Spread).—This is a most elegant Jamaica 
Fern; the fronds are so.finely divided as to give them 
the appearance of elegant feathers. The fronds are so 
branched, that it is difficult to say how many times 
they are divided; but, generally, they are four times 
pinnated, forming almost a perfect triangle in form. 
I have grown fronds of this line Fern six feet long and 
one-and-a-lialf foot broad at the base. It was a noble, 
beautiful object. It is easily increased by dividing the 
creeping root-stock. 
P. i ,achnopodium (Woolly-footed).—Another Jamaica 
Pollypody, remarkable for its stem being covered with 
narrow woolly-like scales. Every part of the plant is 
of a soft, delicate texture. Fronds doubly thrice-cut, 
growing two feet long, standing upon an upright tree¬ 
like stem, or rhizome. A lovely Fern ; slow to increase, 
excepting by seed. 
P. pmjmula (Feathered).—A West Indian Fern, and 
one of the least of the- Stove species, growing only about 
a foot high ; of a delicate, lovely green, with stems quite 
black, pinnated; the leaflets are lance-shaped, and 
thickly placed on the stem; seed-cases in one row, on 
each side of the midrib, on the upper end of the frond. 
Increases freely by division. 
P. PahadtsyE (Paradise).—Remarkable for the short 
stems of the fronds. A lovely Brazilian Fern, growing 
three feet high. Fronds very slender and drooping, 
covered with short hairs. They arc lance-sliaped and 
pinnate; the leaflets long and narrow; seed-vessels in 
one row on each side of the midrib, covering nearly the 
entire leaf. A handsome Fern, easily increased by 
division. 
P. pectixatom (Comb-like).—Alluding to the arrange¬ 
ment. of the leaflets which are set on the midrib in the 
manner of the teeth of a comb. A West Indian hern, 
of great beauty. Fronds pinnate; leaflets long and 
narrow, placed horizontally in paralled lines. It attains 
the height of eighteen inches, the stems are shining 
black. Seed-vessels most elegantly placed in a row on 
each side of the midrib. I think this the most lovely 
of all the stove Polypods, and ought to be in every 
collection. Flasily increased by division. 
P. trichodes (Three-footed).— This rare species is 
from the East Indies ; remarkable for having its stems 
covered with a flue yellowish-brown powder. Fronds 
doubly thrice cut, very weak, of a delicate green, and 
hairy, growing three feet high ; leaflet narrow, lance 
shaped ; seed-vessels round, yellow, aud medial Root- 
stock thick and creeping, by which it may be increased 
! by division. 
PTE El S. 
| Like rolypodium, this is a. large genus, and was 
established by the Swedish Botanist Linnaeus. The 
name is derived from pU'i'on, a wing, the pinnated 
fronds having that appearance. Our well-known 
common Bracken is a Pteris. formerly, this was an 
unwcildy genus, containing nearly two hundred species; 
but the skill and tact of modern botanists have reduced 
the number greatly, confining the true Pteridae to all 
such species as have veins regularly disposed in lines 
not netted across each other. Generally speaking, the 
plants of this genus are rampant, coarse growers, 
I seeding aud coming up thickly wherever there is 
moisture. Yet there are a few that arc able to vie in 
i beauty with any other genera of kerns, lliese few I 
I shall confine myself to in describing. 
p ii kxiiophyixa (Various - leaved). — A beautiful 
Jamaica Fern. Fronds doubly thrice-cut; the lowest 
leaflet the longest, and gradually shortening upwards, 
forming an almost triangular shape. Sterile or barren 
fronds have the leaflet of an oval shape; but in the 
fertile ones they are bluntly oblong, giving the appearance 
of two or various kinds of leaves outlie same plant; 
lieuce its specific name. As it only grows about a foot 
high, it is a desirable species for small collections. 
