302 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
tarum Anglice, nor when his Historia Plantariim issued 
from the press, in 1086, but it had been discovered by 
Mr. Lloyd between that year and 1696, when Lay 
mentions it in the second edition of his Synopsis Stir- 
pium Britannicarum. He adopted the name of Lon- 
chitis aspera major, or “ larger rough Spleenwort with 
indented leaves.” He says, “ It issues from clefts in the 
rocks on the tops of the mountains of Wales, as at 
Clogwyn - y - Garnedli - y - Grib - Goch - Trygvylchan ( D. 
Lhwyd).” 
Mr. W. Reeve observes that it is a very ornamental little 
plant when it can be cultivated successfully. He grew 
it in a cool house, where it was constantly shaded, and 
upon a damp bottom, with great success. He employed 
a compost of sandy loam and peat in equal parts, with 
a liberal admixture of sharp sand. It may be cultivated 
upon the rockery, but great care is necessary, it being 
a very shy plant to establish itself in dry, exposed 
situations. A sliady part of the rockery must be 
selected, where it can be kept damp; but it will not 
bear stagnant moisture. It must be planted firmly in 
the compost above-mentioned as early in the spring as 
possible ; and if a hand or bell-glass can be kept over it 
for a short time all the better, as this will keep the soil 
moist about it for some time without the application of 
much water. Give a little air occasionally. 
It will thrive remarkably well in a greenhouse, and 
Mr. Reeve had it produce fertile fronds abundantly in a 
stove temperature. It is difficult to increase except by 
the seed, which should be sown as soon as ripe, and 
treated in the same manner as directed for other Ferns. 
A cold pit will meet its requirements during the winter 
months, and in the summer also if kept shaded and 
damp. 
MEMORIAL OF AN UNFORTUNATE 
CAMELLIA. 
If there be “ sermons in stones, and books in the 
running brooks,” why not a kind of language in plants? 
Indeed, the cruel usage about to be detailed, to which 
our much-esteemed friend Camellia has been subjected, 
would almost make a stone speak; and surely a living 
plant has a higher claim to be heard than a stone. Let 
us, then, for a few minutes, hear what poor Camellia has 
to say for herself. 
“I can boast of excellent parentage. My mother,- 
from whom I was torn somewhat abruptly, and without 
warning, always enjoyed the most robust health; but 
her lot had fallen into excellent hands, so that she never 
knew what a sorry affair a poor shattered constitution is. 
When first I left her, however, I fell into merciful bands, 
and my master, knowing that I required a little of the 
weaning process, placed me in what he called a pro¬ 
pagating house; and in order to prevent me from too 
much perspiration, which my system could not afford, 
placed a beautiful white glass over me, so that I 
suffered little for awhile from hunger and thirst, from 
heat or from cold ; indeed, my needs at this time were 
very small. My master, too, very ingeniously placed 
me in beautiful white sand, which, although not of so 
stimulating a character as the food I had been accus¬ 
tomed to, soon caused me to root in the same way as 
my poor mother used to do, and with these nice roots 
soon came a sharp appetite, and I, of course, com¬ 
menced a new being. 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, February 3, 1857. 
“ 1 could now afford to perspire freely as my mother 
used to do, and my worthy master at once removed the 
pretty white glass from me, and I began to feel myself 
of some little consequence amongst the numerous 
relatives by which I was surrounded. However, I 
had another ordeal to undergo. I had to be taken from 
my homely fare, the white sand, and received a more 
stimulating diet, which they called ‘ potting me off’.’ 
“ I well remember that this process seemed very hard 
to me, for I was, indeed, pretty comfortable. However, 1 
had fancied something would have to be provided for me, 
as my appetite kept increasing. This potting off made 
me feel sickly for a few weeks. I dropped my head, and 
my appetite fell off sadly; but my master took care that 
I did not lose much by perspiration, and kept me in a 
quiet part of the house until I took to my food again, 
when I at once discovered that he had cleverly antici¬ 
pated my needs. I soon began to feel very robust; I 
had excellent food, and as good an appetite. It was 
really amusing to notice with what assiduity he pre¬ 
pared this new food. First, he so provided my new 
lodgings that the water I required to render my food 
nutritious and digestible might pass readily away when 
needed, for he knew that I was as partial to air as to 
water. My food, mostly turf, he chopped into small 
portions, in order to facilitate digestion, and fixing me 
firmly in my new house, he sprinkled some finer 
material amongst my tender fibres, so that no large 
cavities were left to suffer the water to escape before it 
had paid toll. 
“In a short time I not only became reconciled to 
my lot, but felt very happy; and it being now the 
month of May, I bad so thriven on my good diet, that 
I began to grow exceedingly, and in due time I found 
myself in a condition to produce blossoms; but this I 
grieve to say was the beginning of all my troubles. I 
had been hitherto in the hands of a respectable nursery¬ 
man, -whose propagator (my master) seemed to have a 
most perfect knowledge of all my family for generations. 
They were originally from some part of China or Japan; 
but, taking a strong fancy to Britain, and, indeed, 
other parts of the civilised world, they indicated no 
desire to return; but, if they continue to quack me as 
they have done, I shall really be tempted to become 
outward-bound, rather than hide-bound, as I now am. 
I must now observe, that I was purchased by an 
amateur, as they call ladies and gentlemen who some¬ 
times take to fiddling, and sometimes to plant growing, 
for amusement; and I am sorry to learn that some few 
of them are as bad fiddlers as florists, albeit many are 
prodigiously clever. My new master had but one idea 
about my family, viz., that we must be kept very warm; 
so I was placed at the hottest end of bis new greenhouse, 
which appeared a very funny place to me, being only 
nine feet long. It was, however, crammed full of things, 
and I fell into an odd mixture of company; many 1 
had never seen before. I understood, however, that 
some of them were from hot countries abroad, and 
several of them lived on sticks and broken pots, and 
would almost bear roasting. 
“ It was now about the end of November, and my 
blossom-buds were very plump, notwithstanding I had 
been so sweated as I had never been before; but the truth 
is, I was living on my capital, as men call it, and so I 
rubbed on awhile. But a very severe frost set in, and 
my new master, who, I believe, meant me well in his 
heart, seemed horribly alarmed for fear any of his pets 
should take cold; so he fired away with might and 
main, and, under pretence of having winter Camellia 
blooms, he consoled himself by thinking that he was 
merely keeping those salamander-like companions by 
the side of me comfortable, whilst he was really forcing 
me. And so he was; there was no mistake in the 
affair, for he forced my poor bloom-buds to fall off, and 
