June 7,1890. THE GARDENING WORLD. 629 
made up of miscellaneous collections, and if these are 
somewhat confusing, they are very beautiful, and so 
command at once attention and admiration.— A. D. 
-. >» «- 
FERN HUNTING-.—V. 
A New Maidenhair Spleenwort. 
On another occasion, after a long and almost fruitless 
day on Dartmoor, just as we were turning to retrace 
our steps, we saw a sunken stone dyke covered with the 
Black Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium Adiantum 
nigrim). A dry wide ditch lay between it and the road, 
but something odd in the look of one of the nearest plants 
provoked a jump down for closer inspection. And lo! for 
many yards that dyke was absolutely covered with a new 
form of that species (Asplenium Adiantum nigrum var. 
caudifolium), in which the fronds and their divisions all 
terminate in long tails with small yellow lobes here and 
there instead of pinme. The late lamented Colonel A. 
M. Jones, of Clifton, one of our greatest authorities on 
British Ferns, had a pretty fancy that, in cases like this, 
some fairy has been hovering round the disappointed but 
meritorious hunter, and rewards him thus at the close of a 
barren day, by a touch of her transforming wand, creating 
there and then some new and lovely form for his special 
delectation. If this be so, Puck himself must occa¬ 
sionally be busy when some beautiful form is found and 
taken home, only to prove its beauty to be as evanescent 
as fairy gold itself, by reverting to the common form 
when transplanted. 
What to Look For. 
We will not, however, pursue farther this branch of 
the subject, lest we incur, in these prosaic days, the 
censure of our scientific friends ; but, as a final and 
essential part of our contribution to .Fern lore, give a 
short description of the predominant types of variation 
which may be looked for, though the name is legion of 
the unexpected forms which can only be classed as 
eccentrics, any vagary being apparently possible. 
Cbestation or Tassellingl 
No less than twenty-six of our native species have 
afforded specimens of this character, which seems to be 
quite peculiar to Ferns, no Palm, Cycad, or other 
plants of similar quasi-Fern-like growth having shown 
it in even a rudimentary form, no more than the 
innumerable other tribes of flowering plants. The 
fasciated stem sometimes appearing abnormally in Lilies 
and other plants, of which the Cockscomb (Celosia) is, 
perhaps, the most familiar example, forms the nearest 
approach to the same phenomenon, but these are funda¬ 
mentally different in origin, consisting of numerous 
stems agglomerated together at an early stage, and 
fanning out perforce as they develop. 
In Ferns, however, the tassels are produced by 
simple multiplication of the tips or apices ot growth, 
the mid-vein dividing again and again, instead of 
running out normally to a point. This character 
varies from an almost imperceptible dilatation at the 
points of the frond, or a simple split into two, to an 
infinite ramification which commences as soon as the 
frond begins to rise, and ends by transforming, as it 
were, a feather into a ball of fine moss. The Fern, 
under these conditions, naturally loses entirely its 
familiar appearance, hence there are two forms respec¬ 
tively of Hart’s-tongue and Lady Fern, which can 
hardly be discriminated from each other, though the 
normal forms as we know are utterly different. 
The tasselling may also run into another extreme, 
and forms then some of our most beautiful plants. 
In these not only are the apices of the fronds and side 
divisions beautifully tasselled, but the pinnules also 
carry' tiny little tufts, so that the whole frond is 
endowed with a highly ornate and finished appearance. 
These percristate forms, as they are called, are very rare, 
and rank with the most beautiful. Between these two 
extremes are all grades and variations—some merely 
dividing once and fanning out into points, others 
dividing again and again, forming tasselled tassels as it 
were ; others again, spread out, a la Geranium, into 
round bunches instead of fans, and so on ad infinitum, 
the other abnormal characters which may be present, 
such as dense, slender, crispy, &c., foliage, affecting 
also the character of the crests, and rendering recog¬ 
nition easy enough to the experts. 
Another, and probably the most beautiful type of 
all the variations, because the simplest, is that of 
Plumatum, in which the normal form is maintained, 
but all the parts are amplified, and the cutting 
developed in such a way that in the divided Ferns the 
common feather-like fronds are transformed, as it were, 
into ostrich plumes by comparison, while the Hart’s- 
tongue frond assumes, in the Crispum section, the 
guise of a beautifully fringed and ample frill. This is 
believed to be analogous to the doubling of flowers, as 
it is usually attended more or less with barrenness, the 
reproductive vigour running to leafage. Ten species 
have sported thus. Polypodium vulgare var. cam- 
bricum is a fine and familiar example. 
There are, furthermore, many dwarf forms of great 
beauty, some of the largest species being represented 
by dense-growing little plants, only 2 ins. or 3 ins. 
high. Athyrium Filix-fcemina Edwardsii, Polystichum 
angulare Lyellii, Lastrea Felix-mas crispa, and Scolo- 
pendrium spirale being types of this class. 
Eccentrics. 
Among these we may class most of those which do not 
come under the above heads, such as the Depauperata, 
tailed, variegated, serpentine, pocket-bearing, horned, 
contracted, and other forms, whose names, as we have 
said, are legion and into which we will not further 
enter. 
To the collection at Kew we have already alluded, 
but we cannot fitly close this article than by exhorting 
our Fern-loving friends to pay it a visit, and so view for 
themselves a large number of goodly representatives of 
our beautiful British Fern varieties, the large majority 
of which, probably ninety per cent., have been atone 
time or another the prizes of successful Fern-hunting, 
G. T. Druery, Fernholme, Windsor Road, Forest Gate. 
IRIS IBERICA. 
So distinct in general appearance is this Caucasian Iris 
from all other kinds in any way common in gardens, 
that it is matter for regret that cultivators do not more 
frequently enrich their collections with it. The leaves 
are linear, and form a tuft springing from the base of 
the stem which rises to a height varying from 3 ins. to 
6 ins., and bears a solitary flower. The latter is 
proportionately very large for the size of the plant, and 
if not possessed of gaudy and striking colours, is 
singular in form, recalling that of I. susiana, and is 
ornamental as well as striking. The falls are sharply 
reflexed from near the base, and are heavily reticulated 
or netted with dark purplish brown, and have a large, 
velvety, almost black blotch at opening beneath the 
stigmas, which are equally sharply reflexed in conformity 
with the falls. The standards like the falls are ovate, 
and about 3 ins. in length ; but they are of a pale lilac 
or buff-white with a much less conspicuous venation. 
Our illustration of the flower will serve to give an idea 
of its peculiar form. 
--- 
A LATE FROST. 
It will not be forgotten that so early as the 17 th of 
September last we had generally a sharp frost, in many 
places destroying tender things such as Dahlias, 
Marrows, Runner Beans, and other plants. So early 
a visitation naturally took us all by surprise, as every 
thing tender was in the full flush of growth and beauty, 
and a few more weeks of summer was looked for. 
Now, the latest frost is recorded as on June 1st, that 
is, Sunday morning last, when in various districts, and 
in various spots in the districts, Potato-tops, Runner 
Beans, and Marrows were again severely frosted, 
turning many of the plants quite black. That gives a 
period from the first winter frost to the latest of no 
less than eight-and-a-half months, leaving but three- 
and-a-half months of the year for the safe culture of 
really tender plants. 
Really this sort of frost visitation, so late and so 
early, has an appalling side to it, for it threatens to 
limit the range of cultivable subjects. We must not 
assume that only tender things suffer ; even hardy 
plants and trees of every description suffer too, even 
if but from the exceeding low temperature. A sharp 
frost of some 2° or 3° so near to midsummer is calcu¬ 
lated to produce more harm than one much sharper 
in September, yet both are serious evils. 
Nor is it a matter of wonder that growers of tender 
subjects, such as Runner Beaus, Potatos, Marrows, &c., 
as also of Strawberries, had a very anxious time of it 
a few days since. The stake played by them is so 
large that a specially sharp frost on two nights would 
be productive of little less than ruin. It is too obvious 
that climate chiefly must make or mar the prospects 
of gardening in this country.— A. D. 
-->X-c-- 
BLENHEIM PALACE. 
As the visitor approaches this historical old mansion, 
through the old-fashioned town of Woodstock, he is 
enchanted with the undulating nature of the ground, 
the large winding lake crossed at one point by a massive 
stone bridge, and by the umbrageous trees crowning 
the heights. The trees consist largely of Elms, Beeches, 
and Oaks, especially the latter, many of which have 
trunks of enormous diameter, hollow in the centre, and 
gradually crumbling into dust after centuries of a 
flourishing life. The square turrets and embattlements 
of the palace itself come into view on entering by the 
massive arch over the gateway, but are partly hidden 
by the thick leafage of trees surrounding the building. 
The new Blenheim and Woodstock railway now brings 
the visitor within a short distance of this entrance to 
the grounds of the Duke of Marlborough. 
The Hothouses. 
The greater number of these run parallel to one another 
at right angles to the entrance to the gardens, and 
appear like a little village of glass. As we were 
specially interested in the Orchids, we gave most 
attention to them ; but as we passed through some of 
the vineries, we noted some vigorous young canes of 
Muscats, about three years old, bearing a good crop of 
fruit. The Peaches and Nectarines also bore good crops 
of fruit, and some had already been gathered at the 
time of our visit, about the last week of May. Lord 
Napier and Yiolette Hative are amongst the favourite 
Nectarines. Cucumbers and Melons are also grown in 
some quantity. Whillans’ Seeding Melon is a favourite 
for market purposes, and 250 fruits had already been 
gathered ; it is a globose, smooth, yellow fruit with a 
white flesh. 
Cool Orchids. 
A large house is devoted to Odontoglossum crispum 
and its various forms, including some prettily-spotted 
and marked sub-varieties of 0. c. Andersonianum. 
Some 13,000 plants of O. crispum are located in this 
house, while there are 3,000 of it in another. The 
construction of this, as of the other houses, is very 
perfect in its way, and embodies the most recent con¬ 
trivances for the proper cultivation of Orchids. It is a 
moderately low, span-roofed structure with a large 
central stage, consisting of shelves arranged tier above 
tier, with a flat, narrow bench running all round the 
sides. Beneath this is a sub-stage covered with sifted 
coal ashes, and a water-pipe, pierced with holes, runs 
along the entire length of the house, so that the ashes 
may be damped down at will upon turning a tap. An 
immense amount of labour is saved by this simple 
contrivance. The ventilation is also brought under 
control by means of rods and large-threaded screws 
turned by a handle, so that the top ventilators may be 
regulated to the eighth of an inch. At right angles to 
this house is another, containing amongst other things 
about 800 specimens of Odontog.ossum citrosmum all 
grown in baskets. The greater proportion of them were 
suspended in seven rows from the roof of the house, 
with pendent flower spikes. Others on the side stages 
had their flower spikes tied in an upright position. 
There was great variation in the colour of the flowers 
amongst those that were open when we saw them, the 
sepals being rosy lilac, the petals spotted with purple, 
and the lip of a deep purple, while others were more 
distinctly of a rose colour. The floor of this house is 
paved with Staffordshire bricks, with an imitation on 
the centre of each of an iron clamp fastened with 
screws. 
