198 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
Junk lft. 
P. hirsuxa (Hairy).—Another desirable Ecru, native | 
of that Island prolific in Ferns, Jamaica. Fronds bipin- 
nate, growing in a triangular form from four to live feet 
high, a peculiar light green, and hairy in every part. The 
stem on the back of the leaf has appendages like 
wings; seed vessels narrow, continued on the margin 
of the leaf. This character of the seed-eases is pre¬ 
valent through tho whole genus. 
P. lata (Broad).—A Brazilian Fern, of great beauty, 
growing two feet high. Fronds triangular, and thrice- 
branched ; branches pinnated, and drooping; leallets 
deeply cut, and of a narrow lance-shape. A handsome, 
broadly-formed Fern, easily increased by dividing the 
creeping rhizoma. 
P. i.ongtfoua (Long-leaved).—A Fern widely spread 
over the warmer parts of the world. It has been found 
in the West India Islands^ in Nepaul, and the Phil- 
lipine Islands. The terminate leaf is often twice the 
length of the rest, hence its specific name. Fronds , 
two feet long, pinnate, dark green, and lance- j 
shaped; seed-vessels continuous, mixed with hairs. A. 
remarkable species, well defined, .and easily known. ! 
Increased by division. T. Appleby. ; 
(To be continued.) 
WHY DO NOT GARDENERS ATTEND MORE i 
TO BOTANY? 
It is certainly a pity that botany, as a science, should j 
not be more studied by gardeners in general. Unfor- j 
tunately, tho study among them is on the decliue, partly j 
in consequence of public taste being directed to the 
production of certain classes of plants having greater 1 
floral attractions than others, in preference to extensive 
collections which stamped the character of those j 
gardens where any quantity of plants were cultivated \ 
some forty or fifty years ago. 
At that time the botanical character of a flower 
carried as much weight with it as the colour of its 
petals ; but now-n-days, we arc all for glare and show ; 
and it is rare, indeed, that a cultivator of flowers looks at 
it botanically. The young man aspiring after horti¬ 
cultural fame cares but little now for the natural order 
or family to which a plant belongs, and still less does 
he care for the Linmeau class, aud so forth, in which it 
is included. This latter neglect arises, in a great ! 
measure, from the fact of the leading botanists of the 1 
day setting themselves against the Linnsean system, and 
condemning it in terms that fall little short of prejudice; 
while at the same time they have contrived to fence in 
the system, which they are pleased to call “ the natural 
one,” with such a formidable hedge, or rather maze, of 
technicalities, that the student not possessed of extra¬ 
ordinary powers of application gives up the task in 
dismay. The consequence is, that where one cultivator 
of the present day is to be found having a knowledge of 
this science there were twenty in the last generation 
who understood a something of the Linnaean system, 
and many were to be found who could boast of a toler¬ 
able correct knowledge of it. Now, this state of things 
has been brought about, partly in consequcnco of the 
science becoming less fashionably and partly, as I have 
said, in consequence of those to whom the young 
naturally look to as leaders quashing the easy and 
beautiful system of the learned Swede; and partly, 
no doubt, because that a knowledge of botany is not 
likely to lead to any of those startling results to which 
the mass of mankind have been accustomed to look 
the last twenty years or more. It is useless, here, to 
lmd fault with that taste, since the spirit of utili¬ 
tarianism pervades all classes of the community. How¬ 
ever, it would be worth while to pause and inquire if 
a knowledge of the science of classical botany would 
not be serviceable to the gardener of the present day, as 
enabling him to comprehend the relationship exist¬ 
ing between certain plants, which, to a casual observer, 
have nothing in common; and, as a little knowledge of 
it may be obtained by any one having a little industry, 
its revival is, 1 hope, not far distant; for, independent of 
the use it may be to the aristocratic part of the profes¬ 
sion, who, deeply engrossed in the secrets and mysteries 
of exotic plant-growing and propagating, will find it of 
great service, it is also equally useful to the more 
humble portion, whose duties are not screened from men, 
nor yet from the heavenly bodies, by a canopy of glass, 
lu other words, the cultivator of out-door plants or 
fruits requires a knowledge of the science fully as much 
as the curator of the hothouse; for the close analogy 
many plants highly esteemed for their beauty or utility 
have to others which meet our view in every walk wo 
take in the country, ought to make many young men 
blush that they have not become acquainted with them 
before. 
It. is an acknowledged fact, that the origin of many 
of our most esteemed fruits and flowers are indigenous 
to this country, although well-directed cultivation has 
materially altered the character and general appearance 
very much, and, it is needless to say, has much improved 
the utility of each. This has not been obtained without 
some sacrifice, which often manifests itself in the con¬ 
stitutional hardihood being diminished in the other¬ 
wise improved offspring. 
This has been treated of before, so I need say no more 
here, but proceed to call the attention of that class of 
cultivators who affect most to despise our British Flora, 
“ the flower gardeners ” of the present day, to take a 
look at the face of Nature, and see if their own so-called 
system of mixing, or massing, be not already exemplified 
in Nature on that grand scale to which their mimiciug 
beds afford a poor parallel. 
In the massing way, look at our native Heaths, which, 
in some places, for hundreds of acres present the same 
verdant hue in June, and the same gorgeous display in 
August. Then, again, look at the glittering show of the 
Furze, or Broombrake, presenting a mass of golden 
purity, which no cultivated pet of the present day can 
excel. Then our meadows arc scarcely less rich with 
the gay Buttercup ; while large tracts may be seen glit 
tering with the little modest, but much-despised Daisy ; 
and our chalky downs present largo breadths of the 
purple or common wild Thyme; while our marshes like¬ 
wise present considerable masses of plants, all of one 
kind, blooming in profusion. I have seen many a spec¬ 
tator struck with the gay appearance the Lythrum Sali- 
caria (Purple Loosestrife) has while fringing the edge of 
some stream or water-course; and have many a time had 
the plant brought to me as an acquisition. 
It is possible to multiply the instances in which 
nature has pointed out that the claims of the massing 
system have their origin with her. It is also equally 
clear that tho “mixing system” is also exemplified on 
the same grand scale of operation, inasmuch as every 
wood, or coppice, not too much encumbered by trees, 
presents abundant examples in that way. But it is not 
my purpose here to discuss the merits of the two sys¬ 
tems, for to a certain extent I adopt both; but I want 
to call the attention of our young friends to that know¬ 
ledge of British plants which will enable them to form 
a tolerable knowledge of what floral beauties we really 
possess; for it is a lamentable fact, that an exotic plant, 
or one from the Antipodes, receives more attention than 
others, really more beautiful, that are to be found at 
home. How many cultivated plants are really more 
beautiful than the Menyanthes trifoliala, or Buckbean? 
Then, again, the Parnassia palustris (Grass of Parnas¬ 
sus) is equally pretty, and growing in about the same 
marshy spots which also produced the Butterwort 
1 
