October 20, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
117 
fork, and all decayed leaves were picked off, as damp is 
likely to attack them if there is an absence of sunshine, 
while severe weather necessitates the covering being 
kept on for days together. 
Yiolets are universal favourites, and any trouble 
taken in their successful production is amply repaid by 
their fragrant blossoms when their less fortunate 
brethren that are left to the frosts and cruel blasts 
present a pitiable appearance outdoors. Some twenty 
years ago, when living at Chislehurst, a man was 
reckoned “no gardener” among the craft if he could 
not successfully cultivate Violets—a fact that had some 
significance a few years after, as the late Emperor of 
the French took up his residence in that picturesque 
locality, and the modest Violet was the Napoleonic 
emblem .—George Potts, Jun., Northiam. 
vol. iii). Only one frond could be found with 
any sori on it, and this was only discovered with the 
greatest difficulty by the then gardener, Mr. J. C. 
Durno. However, these spores were placed in my 
possession to sow and raise plants of the true A. 
Farleyense from, if possible. So much has been said 
and written that it will not produce itself true from 
spores, that I was exceedingly careful about the 
manner in which I sowed these spores that no mistake 
could be made with them. 
On January 6th, 1887, I sowed very carefully a few 
of the spores on the prepared surface of soil in a 4-in. 
pot. I placed a flat piece of glass over the top, and 
tied it securely on with copper wire. I then placed the 
pot in a good warm case in the propagating house, fully 
expecting something good to result from my labour. On 
strong plants, produce itself true to the parent. 
Twenty years back a number of seedling Adiantums 
were put in the market purporting to be A. Farleyense, 
but every one turned out to be A. scutum, and I do 
not think that they were anything but seedlings of 
that form. The general appearance of A. scutum some¬ 
what resembles A. Farleyense, whilst in a very young 
condition. Fern enthusiasts at that time at once 
declared that they had got the rare and scarce (at that 
time) A. Farleyense true from spores; amongst the 
many was your humble servant. The first season’s 
growth soon proved them bastards, and the matter was 
forgotten, except now and again, when an occasional 
correspondent in some gardening periodical would ask 
the question, “Does A. Farleyense produce spores?” 
Then followed the usual paragraphs from numbers who 
Adiantum Farleyense, with pinnules resembling those of A. tenerum. 
ADIANTUM FARLEYENSE. 
Raised true from Spores. 
That the Queen of Maidenhair Ferns may be obtained 
true from spores, is now a proved fact, as the following 
notes will show; but the first essential to success, is to 
obtain the spores, which will always be a difficult 
matter, knowing, as every one does who has had any 
experience with this Fern, that it is very shy in the 
production of sori. After a short correspondence in 
The Gardeners' Chronicle, at the end of the year 1886, 
respecting this Adiantum coming true from spores, I 
succeeded in obtaining spores in the month of January, 
1887, from a very large specimen plant belonging to 
Edward Ecroyd, Esq., Edgend Hall, near Burnley, 
Lancashire. 
The fact of this plant bearing spores was published 
in The Gardening World at the time (see p. 296, 
February 23rd, 1887, I sowed the remainder of the 
spores that had been laying in paper since the first 
batch was sown. I sowed this lot carefully in a 6-in. 
pot, and tied a 5-in. bell-glass down firmly over the 
surface of the soil. 
Strange to say, the last batch sown showed signs of 
germination first, and another strange thing is, that it 
is only from the latter pot that any Adiantums have 
made their appearance. From No. 1 pot I only had 
Polypodium aureum, Dennsteedtia davallioides, and a 
few other weedy Ferns. From No. 2 pot I had a 
splendid batch of Osmunda palustris, a few common 
Lady Ferns, one Adiantum somewhat resembling A. 
Waltoni, and twenty-one plants of A. Farleyense, 
true—true without the shadow of a doubt. This ex¬ 
plodes the fallacy that this fine Maidenhair Fern not 
only will bear sori, but will, if only obtained from extra 
thought it did, and others who were sure it did not. 
No satisfactory evidence had before been obtained 'that 
spores sown of it have ever produced themselves true to 
the parent—the general theory being that they have 
and always must come up like A. scutum—but in this 
case the spores were gathered in my own presence, 
sown with my own hand'; I tended their wants as to 
heat and water, potted them with extra care, and, 
finally, have the satisfaction of knowing that I have 
healthy and vigorous plants of A. Farleyense true from 
spores. — W. Goldby. [Our illustration represents 
a striking peculiarity in this Fern. It is of a frond 
found on an adult plant at Chiswick some weeks ago, 
which bears numerous small pinnules intermixed with 
the ordinary ones. All were, however, alike barren, 
but the small pinnules more nearly resembled those of 
A. tenerum than of the leafy A. Farleyense.—E d]. 
