30 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 8. 
from the glass, and now is the time to prepare each 
plant to make a shapely busli. That must be done by 
tying out to neat small sticks the lowest branches, and 
i stopping the ends of every shoot. Some of them may 
I show flowers, but these must all be taken off, and none 
allowed to bloom the first year. When all are potted, 
tied out, and stopped, then place them in the warmest 
place in the greenhouse, avoiding any position where 
there is a cold draught through the air-openings. Great 
attention must be paid to watering; they must have 
enough to wet the earth thoroughly, and no more till 
they are dry again. If large plants are desired in a 
little time, repot again in June, and during the summer 
j keep them under glass, shaded during sunshine, and the 
glass on in heavy rains. In mild, cloudy weather they 
may be fully exposed. In the autumn, replace them in 
the greenhouse, and attend to the directions as to 
I watering, &c., during the winter. The summer following 
■ they will flower beautifully, and reward the cultivator 
; for his trouble and attention with their beautiful flowers. 
| When the bloom is over, cut them in rather severely, 
and repot, and treat in the same careful manner. 
T. Appleby. 
HARDY FERNS. 
(Continued from page 10.) 
SCOLOPENDRIUM. 
A genus of handsome Ferns, separated from Diplazium 
and Asplenium by Mr. John Smith, of the Royal Gardens 
at Ivew. They may be distinguished easily by their 
seed-cases slanting upwards, and being placed between 
the veins at some distance from the midribs, where they 
are sometimes in one line and sometimes in two. The 
seed-vessel cover, indusium, also is special, sometimes 
linear, and in other cases hollow or vaulted. They 
may be known, also, by their long, sword-like fronds. 
The generic name is derived from scolopendra, a centi¬ 
pede ; the long lines of seed-cases are supposed to re¬ 
semble the feet of that insect. 
SCOLOPENDRIUM YULGARE 
(Common ILaet’s-Tongue Feen). 
A British Fern of great beauty, common almost every¬ 
where. The greatest quantity I ever met with in one 
! locality was on a sloping bank in an open wood, about 
three miles from the Phoenix Park, Dublin. The bank 
was literally covered with them, and many of the fronds 
were extraordinarily large, measuring three feet long. 
My friend, Mr. Frazer, landscape gardener, of Dublin, 
was with me, and had some difficulty to draw me away 
1 from such a graud display of this fine Fern. I 
have found it also in great plenty in some parts of 
! Wiltshire, clothing sloping hedge-banks; it is also 
; frequently seen growing out of the bricks in old wells, 
1 where it flourishes very freely. On the hedge-banks, 
the fronds are short, seldom exceeding eight inches in 
j length. Fronds simple, shining, of a lively-green ; long, 
strap-shaped, tapering to a point, and heart-shaped. 
| Margin smooth and entire. Stems scaly. Seed-vessel 
long and narrow, and covering the greater part of the 
frond. Root-stock creeping slightly. Increased readily 
by division. 
S. vulgahe polychides. —A variety known generally 
by the name, angustifolium, narrow-leaved, found near 
i Bristol. Fronds simple, though sometimes they will 
come pinnatifid. They arc then very curious, long and 
narrow, cut into segments over-lapping each other, 
j Seed-vessels very narrow, and placed in the hollows, 
and sometimes on the segments, only occupying three- 
fourths of the under-side of the frond. Not commonly 
in cultivation. I have only seen it in one place in 
Gloucestershire, and in my own nursery. A very distinct 
variety, and may be increased, though very slowly, by 
division, when the plant becomes large. 
S. vulgake MDLTiFinuM (Many - times - divided). — 
Fronds split up at the apex into many irregular divisions. 
Sometimes the frond has many branches from the base, 
and each branch is multifid at the top, and often quite 
tasselled, and becomes so heavy as to droop downwards. 
This singular variety is often varied again, by the mid¬ 
rib dividing at the apex, and again by being divided in 
another style without tassels. These two latter varieties 
are, however, not constant on the same plant. I noticed, 
in Ireland, many plants with forked branches, and this 
variety is sometimes called furcatum; but none of the 
three are distinct enough to be separated from multi- 
Jidum. Increased by division. 
S. vulgare undulatum. — Frond simple, strap-shaped, 
tapering to a point, where it is sometimes (but rarely) 
divided. The margin is beautifully waved, almost 
plaited, like a shirt frill. I never met with this variety 
bearing seed-vessels. It is the most distinct and most 
beautiful of all the varieties. Grown in a peat border, 
it forms quite a bush, and is then very ornamental 
throughout the year. 
When a plant has become largo it may be increased 
readily by division. Take the plant up, and shake off all 
the soil, then pass a knife through between each crown, 
and with the hand disentangle the roots from each of 
the other divisons; pot them in suitable sized pots, in 
any open, fibrous soil mixed with leaf-mould and sand, 
place them in a cold frame, and shade them from the 
light for a few days, and from the sun for a month ; 
they will then have made fresh roots, and will bear to 
be fully exposed. All the Scolopendriums should be 
propagated in a similar way. If these curious varieties 
are grown in a greenhouse, they display their diversities 
to the greatest advantage, and make splendid fronds. 
As they are all evergreen, and very handsome, very 
hardy, and not easily lost, every grower of hardy Ferns 
should try to procure all the varieties. 
SITOLOBIUM. 
Divided from Dicksonia chiefly on account of the 
species being deciduous, more delicate structure, and 
creeping root-stock. There is only one species that is 
hardy. The name is derived from sitos, corn, and lohos, 
a lobe ; the fructification, or seeds, being placed on the 
segments or lobes of the leaves. 
SITOLOBIUM BUNCTILOBIUM (Spotted-lobed). 
A North American Fern of great beauty. It is the 
Dicksonia pilosiuscula of Wildenow, and by that name is 
well known amongst cultivators. Fronds two feet high, 
lance-shaped, and thrice-divided, and of a light green 
colour; pinnae deeply cut, dentated, or toothed at the 
margin. R.oot-stock creeps much, consequently, it is 
easily increased by division. In the Botanic Garden, at 
Birmingham, there is a border three feet wide and 
several yards long, thickly covered with this handsome 
Fern. The border is composed of sandy peat, and is on 
the north side of a Hornbeam hedge. In this situation 
this Fern thrives most remarkably, forming a dense 
mass of fronds. Though so easy to increase and so 
easy to grow, I do not meet with it in many places, yet 
I know no Fern that would give greater pleasure to the 
Fern-fancier. 
DIPLAZIUM TIIELYPTEROIDES (Thelypteea-like) 
I have just room to notice this large, fine Fern from 
North America. A friend, last autumn, sent me two 
plants of it under the name of Asplenium thelijpteroides ; 
