May 24, 1890, 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
599 
A Precious “Find.” 
During our search we have gradually become more and 
more aware that our companion’s attention has not 
been solely directed to the specific characters of the 
Ferns we have met with, since—without any reason 
very obvious to us—he has been poking and prying 
among the commonest forms of all, as if they had indi¬ 
vidually some special interest outside their normal 
character. 
Every mass of Polypody, Male Fern, Lady Fern, or 
whatever else it may have been that came within his 
range of vision, has provoked this careful investigation, 
though the species themselves have been recognisable 
at a glance as a common one, and already on our list of 
finds. For the present, however, we restrain our 
curiosity, and decide simply to wait and watch until a 
solution of the puzzle presents itself, and presently our 
wonderment on this account ceases, only, however, to 
be increased manifold in another direction. 
Pursuing still the course of the stream, we come to a 
declivity down which it plunges, forming a series of 
small cascades, below which we find the banks on 
either side to be much higher and steeper, and dotted 
here, there and yonder with a few large clumps of 
feathery Lady Fern, a greater number of the stiffer- 
looking Lemon-scented Buckle Fern (L. montana), and 
innumerable Blechnums, battling with the grass for 
supremacy in the patches between them. The path, or 
rather track, follows the course of the stream along the 
top of the bank, so that we look down upon the clumps 
as we pass. Still, as before, though the species are 
obvious enough, our companion’s eye is busy with the 
more particular scrutiny we have remarked, and 
suddenly we see it fixed enquiringly upon a huge 
clump of L. montana on the edge of the stream some 
20 yards away and below us, his footsteps being as 
suddenly arrested. Following his gaze we perceive 
now certainly some indefinite peculiarity about the 
clump which strikes us as somewhat denser and less 
feathery than its surrounding confreres. An ejacu¬ 
lation on the part of our friend, and a reckless plunge 
down the slope by both of us, and we are beside the 
plants, which, mirabile dictu, we find to be L. montana 
indeed, but with most beautifully-divided tassels at the 
tips of every frond, and what is more, at the tips of 
all the side divisions. These latter, moreover, are 
much more slender than usual, and with many more 
ultimate divisions or pinnules, the effect being a most 
gracefully pendulous habit of growth, in addition to 
the ornate character imparted by the numerous tassels. 
Our guide is in an ecstasy of delight : and well he may 
be, since the form thus discovered turns out to be an 
entirely new one, and all the more precious, as this 
species is by no means a variable one. 
Here is evidently the solution of our puzzle. Our 
friend turns out to be one of the rarer genus of Fern- 
hunters—viz., a variety hunter—whence the peculiar 
curiosity which he has evinced in his researches, and 
which, until now, we failed to fathom. This wonderful 
“ find,” however, calls for a council of war to compass 
its removal, for its size is immense, and its weight 
evidently considerable. A score of years at least—to 
judge by the dimensions of its huge rootstock—it must 
have “ blushed unseen, and wasted its sweetness on the 
desert air ” ; but at last has arrived its hour of exalta¬ 
tion and due installation, not only in our friend’s 
collection of living Ferns, but subsequently in all 
collections worthy the name—an aim and end which 
fully justifies its removal en masse, and redeems the act 
from any taint of that vandalism to which myriads of 
Ferns owe their destruction. 
The task of removal, however, is found to be no 
slight one, and we have eventually to charter the aid 
of two men and a horse and cart to convey it to our 
domicile in the village we left. This plant is subse¬ 
quently found to consist of no less than thirty-three 
crowns each, with seven or eight fronds 1 yard long, 
and all fully characteristic, the weight of the whole, 
with roots and earth attached, being about 1| cwt. 
Fern Variation. 
Such a discovery as this—involving, as it did, the 
escort of our treasure back to our starting point—forms a 
triumphant finale to this Fern hunt; but arrived at our 
destination, where our rara avis speedily becomes the 
centre of admiration and wonder of a knot of villagers, 
our conversation naturally turns upon the theme of Fern 
variation, so aptly illustrated by the day’s “find.” 
Seeing _that we, too, have become infected with his 
enthusiasm, our friend proceeds to display a dozen or 
more Ferns, both curious and beautiful, which he has 
collected. Among them we see a splendid form of 
Hart s-tongue, '•ach frond of which terminates in a 
beautiful round moss-like tuft some inches across, 
and formed by countless ramifications of the midrib. 
This is also a new form, differing from the many 
crested Hart’s-tongues already found by the tufts being 
separated from the leafy portion of the frond by a 
distinct stalk. This he had found in a roadside hedge- 
bank in South Devon. 
Another “find” of the same species was characterised 
by every frond having, as it were, a piece bitten out of 
it, no two fronds being alike, but all imperfect. 
Another was very dwarf and narrow, with crumpled 
edges slightly divided here and there ; while a fourth 
example was very small, with every frond twisted like 
a corkscrew. Several odd forms of Blechnum and 
Polypody, and another variety of L. montana, dwarf 
and ugly, probably new, but -too unattractive to be 
■valuable, figured among his spoils as possibilities, it 
being quite “ on the cards ” that an unpromising thing 
might develop into something worth having, or, con¬ 
versely, an apparently good thing turn out to be a 
“rogue”— i.e., inconstant and worthless. 
“Sporting” Ferns. 
In subsequent conversations we learn so much re¬ 
garding this singular power of “sporting” in these 
beautiful plants, that we think a short summary of 
the chief points may be of interest, especially as a 
cross-examination of our flower-loving friends generally 
revealed complete ignorance as a rule, or, at the best, 
a hazy sort of knowledge, connected with a few exotic 
species sold by most nurserymen. 
-- 
CULTIVATION AND SELECTION 
OF POPULAR ORCHIDS. 
By Alexander Wright. 
(Concluded from p. 586.) 
Shading. —It will be necessary to protect the plants 
from bright sunshine, and for that purpose there is 
nothing better than roller blinds. The material known 
as hexagon netting is very suitable, admitting plenty 
of light, yet breaking up the sun’s rays, so that no 
burning or scalding of the plants takes place under it. 
The advantage of a roller blind over permanent shading 
is considerable, and the latter should never be adopted 
where the roller blinds can be had. In dull weather 
the blinds should not be used, and in fine weather they 
ought to be rolled up early in the afternoon to allow as 
much light as possible to reach the plants without 
causing scorching. With plenty of light the plants 
make sturdy well-ripened growths, one of the necessary 
conditions to ensure free flowering. During the autumn 
and winter months it will not be necessary to use the 
shading, as all the light we obtain then will be beneficial 
to the plants. 
Insects. —Cleanliness is next to godliness ; and as 
regards plants—whether it be Orchids or any other 
plants—cleanliness is of the first importance. The 
greatest of Orchid pests and the most difficult to eradi¬ 
cate is the yellow thrip. For the destruction of this 
insect there is nothing better I know of than dipping 
the plants in tobacco-water, to which some soft soap 
has been added. After dipping lay the plants on their 
sides to drain, afterwards syringe with clean water, and 
where thrips are troublesome repeat the operation at 
intervals of about a fortnight until they are got rid of. 
For scale there is nothing better than sponging the 
plants carefully with soap water, or some of the many 
insecticides recommended for this purpose. For green¬ 
fly we have found the carbon vapour cones very 
effectual. It is well known that tobacco smoke causes 
the leaves of the Odontoglossums to turn yellow and 
drop, so that where they are grown it is better not to 
use it as an insecticide. If the plants are looked over 
periodically and cleansed, insects on Orchids are never 
troublesome, and, as I have already said, the plants as 
well as the houses ought to be kept scrupulously clean 
at all times. 
Syringing will be necessary during hot, dry weather; 
it helps the plants as well as keeps down the insect 
pests.' As Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, &e., mature their 
growths, remove them to a cooler house, where they 
can be more fully exposed to the light. But where 
this cannot be done, move them to the cool end of the 
house, and keep the syringe from them. I am no 
advocate of the dry system, that is still too common 
amongst Orchid growers, of keeping many of the 
plants quite dry after having matured their growths. 
After syringing during the afternoon shut the house 
up close for about an hour afterwards. This greatly 
helps the plants, and is a system I follow with good 
results. Watering during the winter months is best 
carried out in the morning, and during the summer it 
will be necessary to look over the plants twice a day. 
Although I mention these times as being generally the 
most convenient, never let a plant suffer by want of 
water, however often and at whatever time it may 
require it. The true plant lover (and he is generally 
the successful plant grower) watches over his plants 
with care and attention, knowing the watchful eye to 
be essential to success. No other person can see so 
much beauty in a plant or flower as the painstaking 
and watchful cultivator who has followed the plant 
through all the various stages of its growth—it may be 
from the small seed. And is it to be wondered at if he 
sees beauty where others fail to see anything ? This, I 
think, accounts for gardeners often estimating their own 
products as superior to others, for they believe them to 
be so, and the conviction is the result of the intense 
interest that careful cultivation encourages. 
Diseases. —What is known as “ spot ” will be found 
one of the most troublesome to keep clear of. There 
seems to be great difference of opinion as to the cause 
of it. I am inclined to attribute it to cold, the plants 
receiving a chill at some time or the other. One thing 
is certain—if any of the hot section should be kept too 
long in the cool house, spot very soon appears on the 
plants, and is a sure sign that they are suffering from 
cold. 
Seedling Orchids. —The raising of seedlings of any 
plant is interesting work, but with Orchids it is more 
so than with most plants. Some of the causes of this 
may be that the so-called species as laid down by 
botanists do not appear very definite. Often we cannot 
tell where one species leaves off and another begins, so 
that we may safely conclude there is a wide field open 
to the hybridist. As a general rule, we find that few 
species of other flowering plants will cross with one 
another ; but with Orchids I do not think this difficulty 
exists to near the same extent. My experiments in 
this direction have not extended over many years yet, 
but the results so far are encouraging. I have found 
that not only species will cross with one another, but 
that even genera do not stop the pleasure to be derived 
from this interesting work. From the experiments I 
have already carried out, I am inclined to think that 
most of the Orchids will cross with one another, as we 
find suitable seed - bearing plants. I am further 
strengthened in this belief by the construction of Orchid 
flowers resembling one another to a greater extent than 
is to be found amongst other flowering plants. If we 
take two of the widest-apart genera—amongst other 
Orchids, say, Cypripedium and Odontoglossum—we 
find that cross-fertilisation will be a difficult matter, 
but, I think, will yet be accomplished. I have often 
tried to get a cross between the two, but until this 
season I have never noticed that the pollen mass of the 
one has had any effect on the other ; but this season I 
have succeeded thus far—that the pollen from Cypri. 
pedium has affected the stigma of Odontoglossum, so as 
to close on the pollen and cause the ovary to swell. In 
the Cypripediums the pollen is broken up into single 
grains, while in Odontoglossums the pollen is in a mass 
and not granular. This would make a cross between 
the two genera the more remarkable. I am aware that 
the swelling of the ovary does sometimes take place 
without any seed being developed ; but, on the other 
hand, the affinity between the two genera must be very 
close for the pollen of one to take any effect on the 
stigma of the other, for I take it there must be some 
effect before the ovary begins to swell, beginning when 
the stigraatic disc closes on the pollen masses. 
That is one of the interesting parts connected with 
crossing Orchids ; another is the raising of the seedlings 
and the careful watching they require through the 
number of years until they flower. Then the real 
interest is at its maximum, and we reap the fruits of 
our labour. Let me recommend all who have a few 
Orchids to try what can be done in hybridising, 
although it may take a long while to see the result of 
their experiments. Remember ‘ ‘ time is always on the 
wing,” and that they are “growing while we are 
sleeping.” 
The cultivation of the hot section differs but little 
from the cool section, and where they can be cultivated 
as well as the cool section, it adds considerably to the 
richness of the collection, both in colour and variation 
in the flowers. 
To see the plants in perfection when in flower, they 
ought to be removed to a house that can be kept drier, 
which enables the flowers to last longer in perfection ; 
and if arranged with light, elegant Palms and Ferns, 
their beauty is considerably enhanced, and their 
diversity of colour and form may be admired at leisure. 
