February 6, THE COTTAGE GARDENER. !!57 
four inches high, pinnated, and bright green; pinnae 
oblong, and round at the top, with the edges quite 
entire. Increased readily by dividing the creeping 
rhizoma. 
L. spicant (Spiked).—This a common Fern throughout 
Great Britain. I have found it very linely grown at tho 
foot of rocks in Derbyshire; hence, in culture it should 
be planted in a moist place. Fertile, or seed-bearing 
fronds, a foot high, distantly pinnate, contracted; pinnae 
curved. Barren fronds lance-shaped, a foot long, spread¬ 
ing, deeply cut into lance-shaped segments. Increases 
freely by the side underground shoots from the tufted 
rhizoma or rootstock 
ONOCLEA. 
This is a genus of Ferns from North America. There 
is only one recorded species, hut I possess another, named 
0. obtusaloba, which I obtained from a friend, under 
that name. It has not yet produced its fertile fronds, 
so I cannot determine whether it will prove a genuine 
species ; certainly, it is a variety. The name (Onoclea) 
is derived from onos, a kind of vessel, aud kids, to shut or 
close ; the seed-vessels being shut up or covered by the 
lobes of the pinna) on the fertile fronds. 
Onooi.ea sensibilis (Sensitive).—A most beautiful 
hardy Fern, from North America. I have seen, in the 
garden of the Warden, at Winchester College, large tufts, 
a yard across, of this beautiful Fern. My good friend, 
Mr. Weaver, has the charge of that garden, and grows 
foreign hardy Ferns very successfully, cultivating them in 
light soil, composed of peat aud leaf-mould. 
O. sensibilis has two kinds of fronds, fertile and barren. 
The fertile spring up amongst the other, growing from 
one to two feet high, contracted very much, and bipin- 
nated in opposito pairs; the leaves on the pinnae curling 
over the seed-cases. Barren fronds triangular, very 
broad, of a most beautiful delicate green, pinnated with 
entire margins. This is a most elegant Fern, but will 
not bear handling; hence its specific name. It grows 
well in a wood where the treos do not stand too thick ; 
the rhizomas running freely amongst tho decaying 
leaves. I have seen examples in such situations at 
Mrs. Bosauquet’s, Broxbournbury, and at Sir Oswald 
Moseley’s, Rolleston Hall, Derbyshire. Increases rapidly 
by dividing the creeping rhizoma. 
POLYPODIUM. 
A large genus, distributed throughout every quarter 
of the world. A considerable number are natives of 
Britain, and some of North America, all of which are 
hardy and worthy of cultivation. This was formerly a 
very numerous tribe, but is now reduced to moderate 
dimensions. The truo Polypods are known by their 
circular naked seed-vessels, and by their simple-forked 
or pinnate veins.- 
P. vulgare (Common).—This is the Fern we see so 
common on hedge banks, fallen trees, and low walls 
near to woods. The fructification is very conspicuous 
and beautiful. The one called P. v. Cambricum, or Welsh 
Polypody, it the most distinct, In the garden at Win¬ 
chester, above referred to, I noticed a variety with the 
leaves very deeply and sharply cut into segments. I 
have ventured to name this P. vulgare dentata. It is 
true, the Welsh Polypody has its leaves deeply cut, but 
they are very irregularly so, and are frequently curled 
both upwards and backwards, circumstances that never 
occur, that I am aware of, in the P. v. dentata. Mr. 
Weaver could give no account where it came from, but 
stated that it was very constant in its varied character. 
In a garden near Barnet (Wrotham Park), Mr. Thomson, 
the excellent gardener there, showed me a lot of common 
Ferns growing in a raised bed, and, to my great surprise, 
I observed a few fronds of the P. vulgare that were 
dentated, like the one at Winchester. I drew Mr. Thom¬ 
son’s attention to it, aud he promised to separate that 
part, to try if the detentation would be permanent. 
Another variety is in cultivation, named P. v. bifida 
(twice-cut), that is, with the apex of each leaf divided 
into two parts, all the other parts remaining the same as 
the common one. All these are readily increased by 
dividing the croeping rhizoma. T. Appleby. 
POTATO PLANTING. 
It will be remembered, that no sooner had the Potato 
disease shown a tendency to remain with us, many 
woll-meauing persons rushed forward, each advocating 
tho extensive culture of some favourite plant, which he 
regarded as a worthy substitute for the useful one whose 
service threatened to be fast approaching an end. In 
this way old plants, whose uses and culture we were all 
familiar with, were recommended to be more extensively 
grown, while new ones, whose very names were a 
stumbling-block to the most important of all Potato 
consumers, “ the poor cottagers,” were also urged on us 
as deserving substitutes for the fast decaying tuber. 
Simultaneously with these were many suggestions as to 
the cause of the disease; and some few insisted on 
having discovered a cure for it; while some went to the 
expense and trouble of importing and cultivating afresh 
the wild plant from which our garden varieties of the 
Potato were originally obtained, with, however, no better 
success than the poor cottager, who was content to plant 
in spring such Potatoes as disease and other circum¬ 
stances had still left him, with, perhaps, the consolation 
of afterwards knowing that his crop was not any worse 
diseased than his employer’s, who had been to the 
expense of sending either to the antipodes, or some 
place half-way thither, for his seed, as well as taking 
every pains which science could suggest to ensure a 
healthy produce. 
Coupled with all this, were the innumerable experi¬ 
ments which were made by parties, all anxious to 
ascertain if the disease was under control, aud the 
many means they had of publishing their experiments led 
to the general adoption, by those whose means allowed 
them an opportunity, to try all; but, somehow, the 
result was anything but favourable; for the Potato, in 
most instances, obstinately refused to maintain a healthy 
growth in unfavourable seasons; and though overy season, 
lately, has not been uniformly unfavourable all over the 
country, yet each one has been so in certain localities; 
so that Potatoes have never been so plentiful as of old; 
although it must be admitted that the disease has been, 
on the whole, less fatal than on the first year of its 
appearance, as well as on some succeeding ones; as, for 
instance, that of 1849, which was certainly tho worst, 
with the exception of 1846. But my purpose is more 
with the planting of Potatoes for the use of the current 
year than chronicling the events of the past; so we 
will pass on to that duty without further comment. 
Amongst the many remedies which the inventive 
genius of the last few years has presented us with, 
as bearing on the Potato disease, none seems to have 
answered better than the one urged on by the Editor of 
The Cottage Gardener, some years ago, which was to 
plant only the “ early kinds;” and to do that eithor in 
the autumn, or very early in spring. In addition to this, 
various other “improvements ” or “ amendments” have, 
from time to time, been tried or suggested. The 
“ autumn-planting,” in some cases, being abandoned; 
but “ the early spring-planting ” seems to be all but 
universally adhered to; even those who do not adopt it, 
only excusing themselves on the plea of being unable 
to do so from circumstances; and as its merits arc 
so generally admitted, wo may take for granted that 
“early spring-planting” may be set down as one of the 
fixed laws bearing on the subject of Potato-culture, and 
