Dcccm-ber  10,  1903.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
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sliapecl  like  the  upper  end  of  a  heart.  No  other  of  our  iiativ^e 
Ferns  is  the  least  like  this,  all,  with  the  exception  of  the  little 
Adder’s-tongue,  being  more  or  less  cut  into  side  divisions,  which 
again  are  fr^uently  sub-divided.  It  also  bears  its  spores  in  a 
peculiar  fashion,  the  long,  sausage-shaped,  brown  heaps  which  we 
shall  find  on  the  frond  backs  in  the  autumn  consisting  really  of 
two  masses  of  spore  cases,  which  grow  together  as  they  swell  and 
mature. 
So  much  for  the  common  features  of  the  Hart’s-tongue ;  but 
what  will  our  readers-  say  to  the  assertion  that  as  regards  un¬ 
common  features,  the  Hart’s-tongue  is  perhaps  the  most  wonderful 
Fern  in  the  world?  Yet  this  is  a  solid  fact,  for,  considering  its 
normal  simplicity  of  type,  no  Fern  existing,  whether  temperate 
or  tropical,  native  or  exotic,  has  been  so  fantastically  varied  by 
Nature  as  this.  Not  a  single  character  but  has  been  altered  by 
Nature  in  her  sportive  moods,  not  merely  in  one,  but  in  many 
ways;  and  we  would  particularly  impress  upon  our  Fern-loving 
friends  that  the  great  bulk  of  these  variations  have  been  found 
wild  in  our  native  lanes  and  woods,  or  on  the  walls  and  dykes 
frequented  by  the  common  types. 
A  by  no  means  uncommon  feature  is  a  division  of  the  frond 
begin  to  grasp  the  possibility  of  several  hundred  distinct  varieties 
existing,  and  we  also  begin  to  comprehend  the  wonderful  side 
attached  to  this  common  plant. 
Variety,  however,  is  not  necessarily  charming;  hence  we  must 
not  omit  to  emphasise  the  fact  that  many  of  the.se  varieties  are 
far  less  handsome  than  the  common,  while  many  of  the  others 
possess  great  interest  as  curiosities,  even  where  tastes  might 
differ  as  to  grace  and  decorative  charm.  Ihidoubtedly  the  more 
beautiful  are  the  frilled  and  the  frilled-and-fringed  sections 
(S.  V.  crispum,  S.  v.  c.  fimbriatum,  and  S.  v.  c.  Drummondise 
superbum). 
In  the  crispum  proper  the  fronds  are  not  only  deeply  frilled, 
but  much  indented ;  these  produce  no  spores,  all  the  vigour  going 
into  frondage.  There  are,  however,  some  very  “  frilly  ”  fertile 
forms,  but  the  spores  are  always  produced  at  the  expense  of 
thoroughbred  form  in  this  section.  In  the  fringed  section,  how¬ 
ever,  which  has  originated  from  two  very  distinct  wild  finds  by 
selective  culture,  spores  are  usually  produced  on  a  limited  scale. 
The  Stansfield  fimbriatums  arose  from  a  tough,  wavy,  fronded 
find  (S.  V.  undulatum) — a  most  unlikely  parent,  the  offspring 
being  thin,  papery,  and  prettily  fringed  on  the  edges;  and 
Study  of  a  Formal  Front. 
the  Drummondiaj  fimbriatums  sprung  from  a  wild  find  near 
Falmouth,  and  are  refined  editions  of  the  parent.  In  these  the 
fronds  are  not  only  frilled  and  fringed,  but  waved  up  and  down 
like  a  switchback,  while  fine  tassels  form  the  frond  tips.  At 
present  they  are  certainly  an  easy  first  among  all  the  Hart’s- 
tongue  varieties. 
For  a  selection  we  cannot  do  better  than  refer  to  Messrs. 
Stansfield’s  or  Birkenhead’s  catalogues.  Culture  is  easy.  The 
Fern  likes  an  open  rubbly  compost  of  loam  and  leaf-mould,  and 
a  little  lime,  with  plenty  of  drainage;  and  some  of  the  finest 
forms  are  worthy  of  well-lighted  case  or  frame  culture,  since, 
though  perfectly  hardy,  their  delicacy  cf  make  is  apt  to  suffer 
under  open-air  conditions. — Chas.  T.  Druery,  V.M.H.,  F.L.S. 
- - 
Study  of  a  Formal  Front. — This  is  the  season  of  planting  and 
of  alterations.  Among  other  things,  new  fronts  are  here  and  there 
being  designed,  and  those  who  have  had  work  of  this  nature  to  do  can 
appreciate  the  assistance  of  a  pattern  or  suggestive  model,  whereby  to 
design  the  features  of  their  own  areas.  We  do  not  promise  that  the 
illustration  on  this  page  will  be  anything  more  than  merely  suggestive 
to  beginners  ;  but  if  it  supplies  some  guiding  lines  its  purpose  will  be 
served. 
at  the  top  into  twO'  or  more  branches,  and  this,  if  all  the  fronds 
be  affected,  is  usually  a  permanent  sport  (S.  v.  lobatum).  This 
multiplication  of  the  tongue-tip  is  a  feature  of  fully  a  hundred 
varieties,  no  tAvo  of  Avhich  are  quite  alike,  Avhile  in  range  they 
vary  from  a  mere  fork,  doAvn  to  such  a  degree  of  forking  and 
re-forking  tliat  the  normal  strap  disappears  entirely,  and  we  have 
an  apparent  ball  of  the  finest  moss  in  its  place  (S.  v.  densum, 
Kelway). 
So  much  for, the  tongue  tip  ;  noAV  for  the  heart-shaped  tongue 
base,  Avhere  the  stalk  joins  the  frond ;  this  has  been  lengthened 
into  long  points,  and  also  into  tasselled  ones  to  match  the  tip, 
the  frond  being  tlms  arrow-shaped,  or  sagittate  (S.  v.  sagittatum) ; 
and  not  content  with  this  in  one  vai’iety  (S.  v.  s.,  Dadds),  they 
grow  nearly  as  long  as  the  central  frond  itself,  and  turn  it  into 
a  trident.  The  flatness  of  the  frond  disappears  in  numerous 
lovely  frilled  or  “crispum”  forms,  and  the  smooth,  plain  edge 
is  varied  in  many  ways  from  saAv-toothed  up  to  lacey  fringes. 
Finally  the  smooth  surface  has  been  broken  up  into  a  rough 
one,  more  or  less  deeply  corrugated  or  cut,  rugose,  muricate, 
scalpturate,  or  varied  Avith  marginal  or  internal  ridges  and  lines. 
Hence  Ave  see  that  Nature  has  left  no  character  untouched;  and 
AA’hen  Ave  add  tliat  many  forms  are  combinations  of  these  varia¬ 
tions,  and  also  that  dwarfing  comes  in  as  another  A-ariant,  Ave 
