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THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
?*eitembeb2T ‘ 
VARIATION IN THE COMMON 
POLYPODY. 
Although naturally, as an ardent student 
of our British fern varieties for iiioi'e than 
thirty years, I have seen many colleetions 
in which the above species in its numerous 
varietal forms has been well grown, and the 
particular character of each has been well 
developed, a recent visit to two collections—• 
viz., those of Mr. T. E. Henwood and of 
Dr. F. W. Stansfield, both of Reading— 
have literally astounded me as to the capa¬ 
city of development which may be induced 
by perfect culture of this species. 
permitting of a more comprehensive and 
effective view than that obtainable under 
frame culture, I found it installed in a wide 
bed extending along the whole side of the 
greenhouse. The soil was deep, and com¬ 
posed of an admixture of friable loam and 
leaf-mould, the latter largely predomina¬ 
ting, so that the comj^ost was very free and 
open, thus permitting the travelling rhi¬ 
zomes of the species to penetrate deeply 
and travel freely. Each specimen or variety 
had obviously bee^n planted sufficiently far 
EARLY SINGLE TULIP VERMILION BRILLIANT. 
Grown in fibre by Mr. W. Howe, Park Hill Gardens, Streatham. 
Colour vermilion-scarlet. 
As a rule, we find the varieties or 
“ sports ” accommodated in pots or shallow 
pans but in both theses collections they are 
growing in beds protected, in the case of 
Dr. Stansfield, by a large ordinary frame, 
and in that of Mr. Henwood by a green- 
houtse. In both practically all the varieties 
of value were present, and growing with 
such luxuriance that the fronds not only 
formed bushes, but where, under pot or pan 
culture, they are rarely more than a foot 
high, here, in many cases, they were 
double that length, or even more, while 
the division and sulxlivision of the 
divided and plumose varietes were car¬ 
ried to an extent which I have never 
w itnessed elsew here. 
To deal with Mr. HenwooePs collection as 
apart to prevent, at any rate for some time, 
any crowding or competition between them. 
The salutary effect of this, and of the loose 
compost itself, was. evidenced by the im¬ 
mense size of the fronds to which I have 
alluded (P.v. omnilacerum, Oxford, being 
by actual measurement 30 inches, surely a 
record for the species), wdiile the ample 
light afforded by the clear glass, only 
shaded wffien necessary from burning sun¬ 
shine, prevented them from being drawii up 
and consequently assuming a decumbent 
habit foreign to the species in most of its 
varietal forms. . ■ 
Seeing such results, the question to the 
would-be cultivator is, What is the secret 
of such success ? The answ er lies not merely 
within the greenhouse itself in wffiich it is 
exemplified, but also in tin* t, 
which it exists. Here are imt on;, 
but also many flow'ers, and the>e : 
horticulturist recognises at once n 
the best and choicest sjxcies an : - 
Not a trace of weeds ap]H‘ai>,. t 
everywhere is obviously inch, and th= 
in it are expertly and evidentlv 
treated, and kept in such order . 
them to display their flowers to ; 
advantage. I also noticed, inside ‘he 
house, that a peculiarly congenial n 
pervades not merely the soil but th- 
sphere by frtxpient flooding of :h 
tile benefit of w hich is shown also \ ■ 
bed on the right-hand side filled wit- 
nificent specimens of the Hartstong-: 
ties, which do their liest to rivil 
opposite neighbours, w hich form our 
theme. Above all, there struck n- . 
contrast to many collections I hav. 
the absence of any traces of in.'^ect <1* 
tion or defilement, due undonbteilly ’ 
stant w'atchfulness and the iinniedinT 
of insecticides should traces of sa*" 
present themselves. 
I am indebted to Mr. Henw«> .d ^ 
nation and auricula rmiown) for tb 
pended list of varieties, which A 
greatly the common spe.ies of ilu’ 
row's, old walls, and trci's, has conti 
by ‘‘sports” to the elite of our h - 
British fern varieties, all but a ; 
being the original form as found w ^ 
sjiecies thus owung little to ma¬ 
ture. In conclusion I would point 
the species in question is ])ei'b‘‘-.- 
green, the fronds remaining fre.A nr 
dant until the next growing ' 
Curiously enough, though the norii 
cies and many of its varieties r 
early in the season, all the pluir.o> >r 
bricum ” section defer rising, as 
until July, when they resume _ 
rapidly at a time when most of our ‘ 
species are fully develope<l, therelw 
itirr ccasou inatcnalv* 
List of Varieties. 
Polypodium vulgare camhricum 
urn), P.v.c. Barrowi, V.v.v. H; 
.v.c. Prestoni, P.v.c. Oakleym, I ' 
lerrimum, P.v. omnilacenun Oxr ' 
ety, very hue (30 inches), P-^- 
arker, P.v.g. Fox, P.v.g. 
•istatum, P.v. multifido-griui<li.‘. ^ 
)rnubiense (elegaiitissimum), •' 
am, P.v.c. trichomanoides, t . 
mi, P.v.c. Lyelli, o K’ 
owan, P.v. semilacenim ^ 
.V.S. O KdIy, P.v.s. 
Listiim, P.v.s. T. „l.y, 
achyon O’Kelly, Pa - v 
’Kelly P.v. acuto-seiTatum (> 
*vefnl other distinct varieties. 
Eranthis aVffiludt 
l>eech-woods are adinittedb ^ 
to plant, and scarcely ^„,i. 
bullxnis plants; yet d Iun . 
tions that the little - 
Under the dense leafage of the ^ ^ 
ground vegetation \ 
roots ramify over the (])- 
and on a shallow cliMk ‘ 
usually bare. ' • 
winter aconite (Eranthis 
surface becomes a carp^^ ^ fj^ly t- 
January and February, * ^ 
naturalise that each 
[>ounted tens of thousaiid. o ^ ^ 
the paWHt '* tubers offer . 
come to maturity, d y hardy . 
means of introducing ^ ^ 
which, if planted at fo<retIi?r ; 
iiistance, will soon close . f ai' - 
in impenetrable mass of 
