190 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 23, 1856. 
Tliis is the Filix ramosa minor, or Smaller-branched 
Fern, of Bauhin’s Historia Planlarum, where it is well 
, represented by the woodcut. Tt is certainly not the 
Dryopteris Tragi of Clusius, Gerarde, and Parkinson. 
It was not known to Ray as a British plant when be 
published, in 1070, his Catalogue Plantarum Anglia; 
j but ho had discovered it near Tintern Abbey before he 
! published the first volume of his Historia Plantarum, 
in 1685, and this is the first certain notice of its being 
a member of the British Flora. 
The Polypodium dryopteris is well worthy of culti¬ 
vation, and, from its distinctness and comparatively 
compact habit, will be found to be very useful for rock- 
work, or any retired spot where moisture and shade can 
be commanded. It has, like the last-named species, 
a creeping main root, and will, like it, also require a 
shallow compost, composed of two-thirds fibry peat, with 
one-third leaf-mould, and a free admixture of sand and a 
little finely-broken sandstone. This compost will grow 
it either in the rockery or in a pot. In either case a good 
drainage must be secured; for, although the growing 
plant delights in an abundant supply of water, yet it is 
most averse to water remaining about its roots. There¬ 
fore this must be attended to, and, after the usual 
articles are placed (such as crocks, broken bricks, or 
porous stones) for the drainage, a layer of moss, or the 
roughest parts of the peat, should be placed over the 
crocks or stone. This will prevent the fine compost 
from filling the vacancies among the drainage upon the 
moss or rough peat. A depth of about three inches of 
the prepared compost will be quite sufficient. Upon 
this the plants are to be placed rather firmly, the main 
root of the plants to be just, and only just, below the 
surface. After this is done, providing the weather is 
anything but wet, a moderate watering should follow 
to settle the whole, after which the plants will require 
to be kept moist until the new fronds begin to unfold, 
when, as they increase in size, a free supply of water 
will be necessary over the whole plant, so that a shady, 
moist atmosphere may be kept about it as steadily as 
possible. 
The same directions as regards drainage and planting 
must be observed for pot culture, giving a continual 
supply of water during the growing season, and keep¬ 
ing the pots in the shade. 
This Polypodium may be readily increased by division. 
As winter approaches the water should be gradually 
withheld, and let the plants have a drier soil to stand 
in through that season. The plants in pots should 
have a slight protection during the winter. They 
thrive remarkably well in a greenhouse, and would do 
well for a case of hardy Ferns. 
KEELE HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE. 
It may be remembered that in the number of The 
Cottage Gardener for November 18th, at page 100, I 
recently offered an off-hand report of these interesting 
grounds. Not having much time to spare, and, indeed, 
not desiring to bo prolix in such remarks, I did not 
stay to measure the extent of some of the notorieties 
contained therein. Of this Mr. Hill, in the most civil 
way, has reminded me in a letter now before me; and 
I cannot but feel that I owe it as a duty, both to the 
report and to those readers whom it may interest, to 
render a few little matters more accurate. I may here 
first observe that my opinion of the Grapes, as expressed 
at the above page, although they might, at the time, to 
some appear to be too sanguine, were amply confirmed 
in a few weeks afterwards by the dignified position they 
attained at the Regent’s Street Meeting of the Horticul¬ 
tural Society, November 25th. My good old friend, 
Donald Beaton, whom all the gardening world has 
heard of, observes, that the finest Muscats (!) and Black 
Hamburghs ever seen in this room were exhibited on 
this occasion by Mr. Hill; and I believe the great 
monarch of the metropolitan press also dealt out equally 
laudatory terms. But now to the report in question. 
Not having measured the approach, I overrated it; and 
as to the splendid Holly hedges, I, on the other side, 
underrated them. But the fact is, I was somewhat 
taken by surprise; I had not expected some of the good 
things I met with there, and was by no means deter¬ 
mined on a report until I found myself knee deep in 
matters of some importance. 
Now, as to the approach, Mr. Hill informs me that it 
is 040 yards from the high road to the stables; but then 
the road is no real terminus in the landscape, there 
being 300 yards more on the other side of the road, thus 
making altogether 940 yards. If some good object wei-e 
placed at the end of these 300 yards, the part beyond the 
main road would at once be appropriated in a marked 
way to the general line. The Holly hedges, however, 
which I much underrated, are nearly 500 yards in length 
altogether, and the largest 25 feet high, and nearly 18 
feet through : so stand Mr. Hill’s corrections. To con¬ 
clude, tho Chestnut avenue is only 12 feet above the 
kitchen-garden. Although such corrections are not very 
important to the public at large, yet, when we take the 
liberty of reporting fine places, it becomes us to aim at 
accuracy in anything worthy of notice. 
It may be remembered that I alluded to a wash Mr. 
Hill used for his fruit-trees ; he has kindly furnished me 
with it. It is as follows, given in his own words:— 
“ Mix in a large bucket lime and soot equal quantities, 
a good handful or two of sulphur, and as much green 
cowdung as will make the whole into a thick paste ; add 
to this about one pound of glue dissolved in hot water, 
the whole stirred well together, and, when cold, applied 
by paint-brushes; such will be found to stick on, par¬ 
ticularly if applied in dry weather. For the Peaches we 
use more sulphur, less soot, no lime, and a little soft- 
soap ; this has also about a pound of glue to a bucket of 
the above. When cold it will be found like a jelly; if 
too stiff, add a little hot water.” 
Robert Errington. 
EXOTIC NURSERY, KING’S ROAD, LONDON 
(Continued from page 103.) 
We left off in the large conservatory, which, with the 
two wings, is ninety feet long, therefore there is no 
choice for the first course to-day, and we must take a 
wing to begin with ; but would you prefer a Palm wing 
to a Fern wing, or the east wing, full of Tree Ferns, to 
the west wing, which is filled with Palms? I have the 
bill of fare, and would recommend the Fern wing first, 
as the second course will be two Fern-houses, and if we 
get in the Palm wing between the courses it will be a 
change. 
The first noticeable plant in the Fern wing is not 
exactly a Tree Fern, but it is stronger than any Tree 
Fern we yet know of, Angiopteris evetica, This has a great 
