42 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Janua-y 17, 1903. 
The Hardy Fernery. 
British Ferns. 
By Chas. T. Druery, F.L.S., V.M.H. 
Our few species of British Ferns, forty odd only, as compared 
with hundreds which are found on tropical islands, are never¬ 
theless unique among the Ferns of the whole world, and even 
among the entire range of other plants, in the peculiar faculty 
they have developed of “ sporting ” into varietal types under 
natural conditions. At our horticultural shows ‘we may behold 
ranges of widely different forms of the same kind of plants, and 
our catalogues, such as those of Roses, Chrysanthemums, 
Dahlias, Begonia,s, etc., name many hundreds of each as dis¬ 
tinct varieties ; and the same diversity goes even farther in 
vegetable®. In these latter, indeed, the common wild Cabbage, 
which may yet be found on our sea coast as a weed, lias perhaps 
eclipsed all other plants in the infinite variety of Cabbages, 
Kale®, Cauliflowers, Brussels Sprouts, etc., which have been 
developed from it. 
In all these eases, however, when we come to investigate 
the origin of the forms in cultivation, we find them to be, almost 
without exception, the results either of long-continued selec¬ 
tion or of hybridisation, or both combined, the starting points, 
though possibly minor wild sports, being certainly few and 
unrecorded. 
Even the bulk of varietal exotic Ferns are the outcome of 
selection and culture; comparatively few have been imported 
as found 'wild. What, then, shall be said of “ over a, thousand ” 
distinct wild sport®, many, if not more, of which are extremely 
different from the normal, and much more beautiful, forming 
the basis of our best British Fern collections, in which the 
improved forms obtained! by subsequent selection are often 
the direct offspring of the wild find, instead of.being, a® our 
best flowers are, the outcome of many generations of culture, 
step by step. 
To revert to the Cabbage example, it .is as if we could hunt 
our sea cliffs, where the common wild one grows, and find here 
a succulent Cauliflower; there a full feathered curly Kale; 
yonder ,a ponderous Savoy; and yet again a Brussels Sprout- 
example in full perfection. That is a fair parallel case, for 
so-ine of our finest type®, which have never been improved by 
culture, and hardly seem open to improvement, were discovered 
in hedges, in stone dykes, or in other ferny habitats, growing 
among the common forms in full perfection. A Marechal Neil 
sport among wild briers is an equally fair comparison; but 
search as we may in horticultural records, we shall never find 
such comparison justified by the fact of such discoveries. 
A further curious fact is that most of our native Fern species 
have a very wide and-almost cosmopolitan, range; and yet, 
though foreign botanists and plant- collectors, as well as our 
o'wn ubiquitous travellers, are constantly ransacking the world 
for no-veltie®, and Ferns, a® we have said, are far and away 
more numerous in many parts of the world than they are in our 
native isles, very few varieties indeed have cropped up 
abroad, and many of the British types have never been found 
at all elsewhere. The main varietal types which have been im¬ 
ported are tasselled forms, with a few plumose or extra 
feathery ones, of which Adiantum farleyensa is the undoubted 
queen in her own special line; but a'nong British Ferns we 
could cite a dozen types, even in one species, such as Athyrium 
Filix-focmina, Victoria), frizelliae, revolvens, Vernoniae, -seti- 
gerum, Pritchardii, -a-erocladon, kalothrix, exc-urrens, and 
others, which are fashioned -on lines unknown so far in any 
exotic ‘whatever. On the- Continent, where the- same species 
aa our own occur in immense abundance, there are numerous 
investigators, and a considerable amount of Fern literature; 
but although we have had the opportunity of perusing lists of 
wild varieties found in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, not. 
one of them all is- what would be here pronounced a thorough¬ 
bred by experts, though by the very fact of their being of 
le®s marked character than our best forms*, it is clear that 
the finders exercised careful”.search -among the normals, and 
that, consequently, better forms were not- overlooked owing 
to superficial observation. 
For all these reasons, it is clear that our British Ferns 
posses® a unique interest in many ways, apart from the great 
beauty and singular eccentricity which hundreds possess in dis¬ 
tinct ways. They are, moreover, perfectly hardy, and thus a 
grand collection can be accommodated with little outlay in 
any garden which possesses some sheltered! nook where flowers 
would not thrive but Ferns would be in their element. A little 
rockery under a north wall, or, better still, a feKv frames -with 
a like exposure, will house scores of pretty examples, while 
a cold conservatory, which gets little or no sun, may be fur¬ 
nished to great advantage with 'specimen plant® in pots or 
pans-, and, taking the whole year round, reward it® owner in- 
- finitely-more generously with a wealth of lovely B ondage than 
could any other plants under like conditions. 
Cultivation of Osmunda regalis. 
The Royal Fern is an object- of great interest, and even of 
ambition to* the collector of hardy Ferns who has sufficient 
giound at his disposal to attempt anything like a representa¬ 
tive collection of Brit is! i species and varieties. Moreover, if 
lie wishes to make a collection of even the finer varieties now 
in cultivation, it is almost necessary to 1 take up only one section 
of Ferns and do it thoroughly, unless he has a large garden 
at- his disposal, and has plenty of time to attend to their re¬ 
quirements. 
On this occasion I shall dwell, only for a little, on the cul¬ 
tivation of the Royal Fern.. One of the primary requisites is 
an abundant supply of moisture during the growing period. 
Soil is practically of secondary consideration, provided the 
necessary moisture to keep this bog plant in a healthy condi¬ 
tion can be secured. Nevertheless, the finest results, perhaps, 
are obtainable from good fibrous loam, with a little peat, in 
conjunction with moisture ; and if a little shade can be assured, 
it. will prove highly beneficial in securing anything like a 
vigorous and sub-tropical growth. 
Two or three methods of cultivation may be adopted, accord¬ 
ing to the conditions under which the grower is attempting 
their cultivation. A very suitable position for the Royal Fern 
is on the banks of a stream or pond, where it may even be 
grown in lull exposure to the sun. Under these conditions 
the fronds would necessarily be dwarf; 3 ft. is a very good 
average height for the Royal Fern so grown. The plan 
should be to take out- the natural soil to a depth of nearly 
the level of the water in the stream or pond, or slightly under 
it. Good drainage should be supplied by means of broken 
bricks, or even sandstone rubble. Over this drainage some 
turves may be laid, above which the soil or prepared comjrost 
may be laid. This is all that is necessary, as the soil and 
moisture are already provided. 
Where no stream or pond exists, and water is difficult to 
obtain, a special position might be prepared for the Roy .I 
Fern, and the necessary conditions provided. The natural soil 
might be taken out to a depth of 3 ft. or 4 ft., the bottom be 
covered with clay, and a brick wall built round the sides of 
the square. Some drainage may lie put into this, and some 
rough material placed over it. to keep the compost from enter¬ 
ing the* drainage. The rest of the hole might then be* filled up 
with the prepared compost and the Osmunda planted. If r.o 
natural shade exists, some special preparations should be made 
to supply this. A bank of shrubbery, or some young trees, 
might be planted, all round the southern and western aspects, 
at least. As the trees or shrubs grow up to supply the shade, 
so the Royal Fern will grow and increase in stature with them, 
until it. reaches its fullest capabilities of growth. G. B. 
