'■j.
■ i!i'
i ' i' Afplenium trichomanes, Afplenium ruta-muraria, Afplenium
adiantum nigrum, and Polipodium vulgare with its varieties.
Thofe which are proper for planting on dry rocks, whether
natural or artificial, are Afplenium adiantum nigrum, Afplenium
marinum, and ikfplenium ruta-muraria; Polipodium
fragile, and Acroftichum feptentrionale r thefe naturally grow
on dry and barren rocks. And can any thing be more beautiful
than the firm texture, the deep glofly green, the elegant
diviftons and fub-divifions of the firft, fecond, third, and fifth
of thefe, when contraftcd with the foft, filken, feathery appearance
of the fourth ?
On moift overfhadoLved and dripping rocks we find Acroftichum
ilvenfe, Afplenium trichomanes, Afplenium' viride^
Polipodium lonchitis, Polipodium fontanum, Polipodium aculeatum,
Adiantum capillus-veneris, and Trichomanes tunbrigenfe.
In dark moift and ihady places, under trees to enrich the
ground, Polipodium phegopteris, Polipodium dryopteris, and
x'\fplenium fcolopendrium with its varieties.
In lines, or little clumps along the margins of grafs plats,
walks, or borders, may be planted Ophiogloftum vulgatum,
and Ofmunda lunaria.
The roots of the larger kinds of Ferns are firm, well fixed
in the ground, and very durable ; they continue in the places
where
where they have once been planted, and do not fend out
fuckers or runners to difturb the neighbouring plants, or to
occupy more fpace of ground thair is allotted them ; hence
they are very proper for planting round the verges of artificial
bogs or fifli-ponds, their roots forming a lafting barrier
between the wet and the dry. The fpecies moft proper for
this purpofe are Ofmunda rcgalis, Polipodium filix-mas, Polipodium
filix-femina, Polipodium thelypteris, and Polipodium
criftatum.
The feeds of Ferns, though very numerous, are extremely
fmall, and never, or very rarely, take root in cultivated
ground : they will not therefore render the garden lefs fertile,
or incommode the gardener by encrcafing the number of weeds.
The leaves of the larger Ferns, if cut down at the time of
their full growth, and properly dried, make a thatch much
more durable than that of any kind of ftraw ; and, by their
lightnefs and natural warmth, may be ufed as tlic heft litter
for fecuring tender feedlings from the cffefts of froft.
The drawing and etching of the figures are perfoimed
VL'holely by my own hands, from a clofe and careful infpec-
tion of the plants. The employing an engraver would have
been attended with a confiderable and certain expence ; and
as the reimburfement was very uncertain, I chofe to undertake
it myfelf, though I had never before praftifed the art of
etching,