474 
great mistake. It is from October to the end 
of February that the majority of the plants 
are in the most prominent state of growth 
development. Is it reasonable to expect that 
any plants require a less degree of tempera¬ 
ture when in the most active state of develop¬ 
ment than when at rest or in their dormant 
state? It is much more satisfactory and 
reasonable to keep them as cool as possible 
at this season of the year, and thus retard 
Some little time back Fern tassels were 
dwelt upon by the writer as one of the 
most remarkable types of variation which 
has appeared in many species both British 
and exotic. A not less remarkable one, 
however, consists in the capacity of some 
species to spore in the direction of e|xtra 
development, forming frills and fringes, 
which add materially to the beauty of 
the plants. Naturally such forms can 
only appear in their more marked shape 
in Ferns which are normally of simple 
outline such as the Hartstongue Fern 
(Scolopendrium vulgare), but as we 
shall see, the fringed form can present 
itself in divided fronds. In the Harts¬ 
tongue the frill has presented itself in 
very marked ways in numerous indepen¬ 
dent wild finds which we know as the 
“ Crispum ” section, and which constitute 
a range of charming decorative plants 
which deserve far greater popularity than 
they at present enjoy. The best forms of 
these are perfectly barren, never bearing 
spores, the vital energy which should pro¬ 
duce these being apparently diverted into 
merely vegetative vigour. How the frill 
comes about is obvious if we hold a nor¬ 
mal or flat, strap-shaped frond and a 
frilled frond up to the light. In the plain 
frond we see a beautiful arrangement of 
veins which, starting from the midrib, 
fork into two a short distance from it, 
and then run to the margin without fur¬ 
ther division, but in the frilled one we 
shall see repeated forkings, and as the 
space between the forks is maintained the 
result is that the margin becomes much 
longer than the midrib, and the strap has 
to form and folds as a consequence. 
Some Crispums produce wider fronds 
than others; some bear their fronds on 
longer stalks, and some have deeper and 
more overlapping folds forming hand¬ 
somer frills. In the fringed frilled forms 
the veins aforesaid are not content with 
forking repeatedly and terminating regu¬ 
larly so as to form an even margin, but 
some of them continue to lengthen beyond 
the general margin, and run out into 
thin tapering projections forming the 
fringe. Such veins in some cases appear 
to be unable to cease growth, and finally 
expand into tiny leafy discs, which, if 
layered, are capable of producing another 
generation in the same lines as spores 
would do. Undoubtedly the more remark¬ 
able of these varieties is S. v. crispum 
Drummondae, originally found wild near 
Falmouth. This stands alone as a com¬ 
bination of strange features, since the 
fronds are not only very narrow and long, 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
the plants commencing to flower too early in 
the year, for the plants rarely display their 
best quality and true characters where they 
flower before the month of March. The 
amateur may thus conclude that some of the 
orthodox methods may be taken with some 
liberty and may thus use his discretion in 
the treatment of the plants he may be de¬ 
sirous of cultivating. 
H. J. Chapman. 
despite the frilling, but are tipped with a 
broad branching crest or tassel. They 
are, moreover, of two types, one with plain 
edges, the other with fringed ones, while 
to cap the climax, the fronds are all 
curved up and down in the direction of 
their length switch-back fashion. By 
selection it has been possible to separate 
the two types, and we have now a splen¬ 
did Fern Drummondae superbum, in 
which all the. fronds are fringed, and if 
the fringes be layered they act as above 
described. 
Besides the true or barren Crispums, 
partially fertile forms have been found, 
but in all these cases where the spores 
are produced, the frill suffers, and has 
irregular edges, the veins bearing the 
spores being shortened by the drain upon 
them. It is recorded that the late Col. 
Jones, of Clifton, one of our most dis¬ 
tinguished Fern hunters and raisers, 
found eighteen or nineteen separate and 
true Crispums in one lane in South 
Wales, a proof that some one of the com¬ 
mon type in that locality was capable of 
producing Crispums from its spores, since 
obviously the barren Crispums themselves 
could not multiply. 
We have alluded to other and divided 
Ferns producing fringes, and as a fact 
there are several Lady Ferns (A. F.-f 
clarissima, Bolton and Garnett), several 
soft shield Ferns (Polystichum angulare 
pulcherrimum), and one form of male 
Fern in which the veins run out into 
fringe-like threads, and are capable of 
producing plants in the same way as the 
fringed Hartstongues. In addition to the 
Drummondae section there is a very beau¬ 
tifully fringed and frilled one known as 
Stansfield’s. This was raised by Messrs. 
Stansfield, of Sale, near Manchester, 
from spores of a merely waved or un¬ 
dulated wild find (S. v. undulato- 
rigidum), which yields a percentage of 
offspring curiously different from itself, 
these being thin textured, frilled and 
fringed, while the parent, as its name im¬ 
plies, has thick and leathery fronds, only 
slightly waved instead of being frilled, 
and with perfectly even edges. It may be 
mentioned in conclusion that the fertile 
Crispums yield charming little plants 
from their, spores, fully as pretty as the 
true or barren ones, and though when 
they reach adult size they are apt to show 
the defects above alluded to, these defects 
are not so palpable as to materially re¬ 
duce their decorative effect in the garden 
or as pot plants. 
Chas. T. Druery, V.M.H., F.L.S. 
July 13, 1907. 
Flower Seeds & Seedlings. 
Many amateurs fail to successfully 
raise flowers from seed, and the follow¬ 
ing hints, if carefully followed out, may 
save much unproductive experimenting. 
Failure is often due to the soil that is 
used. A suitable compost for most 
things consists of two parts of finely pul¬ 
verised leaf mould to one part of silver 
sand, always taking great care not to sow 
the seeds too deeply, the slightest cover¬ 
ing of mould being sufficient. Of course 
the larger the seeds, the deeper they 
should be sown, and vice versa; in fact, 
the minute dust-like seeds of such flowers 
as Lobelia, Mimulus, and several others 
should be sprinkled on the surface of the 
soil, which should have been previously 
thoroughly soaked with a fine-rosed 
watering can. The pot or pan should 
then be covered with a piece of glass, 
which may be occasionally removed and 
wiped dry. Particular care must be 
taken when once germination has com¬ 
menced, that they are never allowed to 
become dry, or the germ, once started 
into active" growth, will soon shrivel up 
and die. 
As soon as the seedlings are large 
' enough to handle they should be pricked 
off into boxes, or weak and spindly plants 
will be the result. If grown under a 
frame, it is necessary to shade them dur¬ 
ing the heat of the day, though at other 
times they require all the light obtain¬ 
able. 
Hardy annuals should be thinly sown 
in the open ground in September for an 
early spring display, or in April or May 
for summer and autumn blooming. 
Half-hardy annuals must be sown early 
during March, on a gentle hot-bed, or. 
if this is not available, a cold frame will 
do, but the sowing must then be post¬ 
poned for a few weeks. Should excep¬ 
tionally propitious weather prevail, the 
seeds of some of these beautiful flower: 
may be sown in the open border early ir 
May, but of course they will bloom much 
later in the season. 
Biennials, that most useful class whicl 
includes Canterbury Bells, Dianthus 01 
Indian Pinks, and many others indispen 
sable to the amateur, should be think 
sown in specially prepared beds any tim< 
from April to July, transplanting whei 
large enough to their permanent posi 
tions in the autumn. Treated thus the; 
will make a fine show during the sprinj 
and summer months. 
Hardy perennials may be treated n 
the same way as biennials, but are per 
haps better if raised in a frame, with 0 
without bottom heat, and, if sown earl 
and planted out during May, many c 
them will bloom the same year. 
Half-hardy perennials may be sow 
under glass in March or April, but c 
course will need some protection durin 
the winter months. 
The more tender plants I would advis 
the amateur, unless he be an expert, c 
at least an enthusiast, to purchase froi 
some reputable florist, although the tei 
der annuals, which perhaps require th 
friendly shelter of a greenhouse to brin 
them to a state of perfection, may, wit 
care, be raised in a close frame, an 
bloom quite satisfactorily in a sunny wii 
dow. 6. A. F. 
Fern Frills and Fringes. 
/ ' +++ ^ 
! 
