FERN COLLECTING AND PRESERVING
Perhaps none of our native plants have suffered more from those vandals
who root up every pretty thing they see than the Ferns. To the average
tripper there seems to be something irresistible in the green fronds, and
up comes the root, or enough of it to destroy the plant, and the prize is
carried home. Even if the fern is so fortunate as to be planted at all,
it is probably dealt with in such a way that its chances of living are
very remote. County Councils may pass by-laws, but one is afraid that
these will have little effect until there is amongst the people as a
whole a more wide-spread regard for natural beauty. It is to be feared
that one cannot entirely acquit the scientific student of helping in the
destruction of Ferns. A rare find is a terrible temptation to the
enthusiast, but if the plant is a solitary one it is a golden rule to
leave it alone. Often enough a single frond will give us any quantity of
ripe spores from which fresh plants may be raised. In any case the
gathering of the leaf is a certain proof that one has found the
particular species. If it is possible to re-visit the spot at a later
date it is not unlikely that the specimen may have propagated itself in
some way. Of course, where there are a number of specimens there can be
no harm in taking one for cultivation. The same applies to common Ferns,
or varieties of these; and if by propagation the stock is increased the
number of beautiful plants in the country is made the larger. So that
there is a form of collecting which is perfectly legitimate, and, indeed,
to be commended.
For those who start out on a Fern collecting expedition, one of the long
narrow trowels will be found to be extremely useful. A proper vasculum
is, of course, of service, but this is sometimes apt to get in the way,
and it will not accommodate very large Ferns. Mr. C. T. Druery, who has
done an enormous amount of Fern collecting at home and abroad, declares
that he contents himself with some old newspapers and a ball of string.
In this way bundles of the plants are easily made, and in most cases
these can be readily carried about. Great care is necessary when removing
the Ferns to do as little damage as possible to the roots. If it is
desired that the plant should settle into its new home as quickly as
possible, it is an excellent plan to take away with it a certain amount
of soil. Of course, considerations of weight have to be taken into
account, but the more mould round the roots the better. Never grasp a
Fern plant from above and try to pull it away, as this will be almost
sure to result in damage. Rock Ferns are often exceedingly difficult to
remove, owing to the manner in which the roots of these plants spread to
great distances in the crevices. Yet without a large amount of their
roots these Ferns can never be satisfactorily established. In such cases
a chisel and a mallet will often come in highly useful, as in many
instances if the rock is chipped away the Fern can be readily taken from
its position. As the specimens are secured it is most important to take
steps to protect them from withering. First of all, wrap a portion of
damp newspaper round the roots, and then tie up with dry paper. When on a
holiday the Ferns may be kept alive and in good condition for a week or
so, if they are placed in some shady corner with their roots protected in
the manner described. An occasional sprinkling of water will help to
prevent any withering. Of course, for packing it is often necessary to
cut off some of the largest fronds; and there is not much lost by so
doing, for these often become very much damaged, and will probably die
when the plant is established in its new quarters. The question is often
asked at what time of the year may Ferns be removed. Nearly all our
native species will suffer transplanting at almost any season if the
business is carried out on the lines indicated. Of course, most specimens
are probably taken up in the summer when the handsome foliage attracts
the eye. In some ways this is the least satisfactory time on account of
the hot dry weather, but by protecting the roots there is no reason why
the specimens should flag to a harmful extent. Of course, newly acquired
Ferns will pay for extra attention in the way of watering until they have
secured a proper roothold.
A very interesting way of studying Ferns is that of collecting the fronds
of the species which the hunter may come across. This is a pursuit to
which no sort of objection can be taken, for, of course, the plant itself
is not in any way disturbed, and is not in the least likely to suffer
from having one or two of its fronds removed. In a general way the fronds
are best collected during the summer and autumn, when they will, of
course, be well developed. It is much more difficult to secure perfect
fronds than may be generally supposed, and even with the common species a
number of plants may have to be examined ere specimens without blemish of
some kind or another can be obtained. Seeing that the position and shape
of the sori play such an important part in classification, the fronds
should be secured when the patches of spore cases are developed. On the
other hand, these should not be quite ripe, or they will be likely to
burst in the process of drying, and the real character of the sori will
not be very apparent. When they are gathered the fronds should be placed
at once in a vasculum, or a long tin box, and must be kept there until
the time for pressing arrives. Naturally it is a good plan to treat the
fronds as soon as possible, though in a closed tin box they will keep for
some days without withering.
If properly dried and pressed, it is possible to preserve the Fern fronds
with a great deal of their natural colour. Botanical drying paper should
be employed, and, of course, if desired an orthodox press may be used;
but this is not really necessary. The cheapest plan is to secure two
boards of wood of a size to cover the sheets of drying paper, which are
placed between the boards. If the paper is about twelve by eighteen
inches this will accommodate moderate examples of most of the fronds. Of
course, special arrangements will have to be made for extremely large
leaves. It is not a bad plan to have two straps with buckles so as to
keep the boards together, and prevent them from moving when the Fern
fronds are in position. In the first place, two or three thicknesses of
the paper should be spread on one of the boards. Now take the same number
of sheets, and start to place these over the frond. Starting at the tip
of the leaf the divisions should be carefully spread out in such a way
that the frond as a whole is well displayed. To keep the frond in
position it may be useful to put a book on the paper as it is spread out.
A number of fronds may be accommodated between the two boards in this
way, but it is important to have two or three pieces of the drying paper
between each specimen. When all the fronds have been spread out in the
manner indicated the uppermost board is put on the top of the layers of
paper, and by means of the straps the pieces of wood are drawn together.
A very small amount of pressure should be employed in the first instance,
and a few light books on the topmost board will be all-sufficient.
After about twenty-four hours the fronds may be examined. They are still
comparatively supple, and any misplaced pinnæ may be re-arranged without
any difficulty. In any case, fresh pieces of drying paper must now be
used, and on to these the fronds are placed. It will be found that as a
whole they assume a flat position, and are very easily handled. A little
stiff brush, or the end of a hairpin, will be found very useful at this
stage to help in the working out of any refractory pinnæ. The pressing is
carried out in the same manner as before, only if it is decided to make
this the final stage of the process, the weights should be heavier. In
the case of very complicated fronds the process of examining may be
repeated three, or even more times, with intervals of twenty-four hours.
After two or three days it will be found that the fronds are quite dry,
and they should have retained almost all of their natural colour.
The fronds may be moved into a portfolio formed of sheets of stoutish
paper. They may be held in place by fastening a few strips of gummed
paper over the stipes and rachis. The name, locality, and date of
gathering should be added to each specimen. Of course, in all cases it is
a good plan to have two fronds, one showing the upper and the other the
under side. Where there are both barren and fertile fronds, an example of
each should naturally be included. Thus, a highly interesting collection
of fern fronds may be gathered together with a small amount of trouble.
One is often asked by those who wish to study British Ferns, where the
most interesting specimens are to be found. The answer to the question is
that it is always a wise plan to keep your eyes open wherever you go.
Many of our smaller ferns are readily overlooked even by the keenest
observers. The writer can call to mind an occasion when he sent away to a
London nursery to buy an example of the Wall Rue Spleenwort. At the time
he was living in a town, and without a long tramp into the country there
seemed to be no hope of securing a specimen. A few days after the arrival
of the purchased plant any quantity of the little Fern, in rather a
dwarfed form, it is true, was found growing in the crevices of a wall
adjoining a public road. The upper part of the wall being covered with
ivy, the Spleenwort found a position beneath the protecting shade, where
it attracted no attention from the passers-by. Of course, certain species
of Fern are extremely local, largely owing to the fact that they require
special conditions of soil, etc. It is therefore quite useless to look
for such in an average district. Many species flourish only in rock
crevices or on old walls. Others are to be found, as a rule, in rather
elevated positions, and we cannot hope to find them save in a mountainous
country. Finally, there are a great many Ferns which can adapt themselves
to a variety of conditions. The actual circumstances of their
surroundings will make them vary more or less from the type, and this
must always be borne in mind when specimens are being examined. In
another way identification is sometimes rather difficult, owing to the
fact that immature Ferns are often very misleading in their appearance.
Quite likely they may resemble another species altogether. It is
therefore only when a mature frond bearing sporangia is discovered that
it is possible in some cases to speak with certainty. Many British Ferns
evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the
beginner should always bear in mind. As a rule, however, even in the case
of extreme varieties, a careful examination of the specimen will enable
it to be identified.