St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-10-05
THE p,cKsoNlAM FERN
4 Variety WIDELY Distributed - Nortf
America.


America.
When Thoresu wrote Mature made
ferns for pure leaves to show what she
could do in that line, !" he doubtless
has the Dicksonian fern in mine. II
was one of his favorites. and is often
mentioned in his journals. Other
writers ON out-of-tloor topics seldom
mention this fern, although it is one
that we should naturally expect to find
mentioned wherever mountain scenery
is described Those who have seen the
Dicksonia in its native haunts will
readily agree that its beauty is not ex-
aggeratei; tits doubtless our most
beautiful fern. Others may surpass it
in stature. but none can equal il in del
icacy and gracefulness.
What the bracken Is to English
moors. the Dicksonian fern is to the
mountains of northeastern America.
Although it is to be found growing in
the thickets and woods of our low
lands, it can only be seen at its best
amid the wilderness and granduer of
the mountain solitudes- Here it at
once becomes nOticeable-a distinct
feature of the landscape. Slightly
changing Scott's lines 70 the lady fern,
We may well say:
Where the copse wood II the greenest.
Where the fountain Rlistens sheenest.
Where the mountains dew lies longest
There Dicksonia Is strongest.
Few ferns take such complete pos
session of the soil. Many large areas
on the mountains are almost given up
to it. For miles upon miles in all Ii-
rections it is spread, the principal un-
dergrowth in open woods adding it's
share to the tangle of brush and briar
in the thickets. and fringing every
rock and bOwlder in the mountain
pastures. As our eyes wander over
such scene the old poet Twomley's
stanza comes into mind:
Oh. then most gracefully tAey wave
In the forest. like sea.
And dear ~ they are beautiful
Are these fern leaves TO me.
The Dicksonia is often called the
fine-haired mountain fern, its name
particularly appropriate. Another
of its common names is hay-scented or
sweet-scented fern. given in allusion
to the fact that the foliage when
bruised gives of q strong. sweetish
odor, akin to the smell Of new-mown
hay. The fragrance is frequently no
tlced as one walks through the ferny
dells. This should be the true sweet
fern"
The root stock Of the mountain fern
is slender and creeps extensively, send
ing up its handsome fronds at short
intervals all summer. These are
lanceolate or spear-shaped in out
line. and apparently endlessly divided.
In reality, each frond consists Of
about twenty-five pairs OF pinnae,
which gradually decrease in size ss
they approach the apex. Each pima
il divided into nearly fifteen pairs OF
pinnuels, and the latter are again di-
vided into many lobes, which are
toothed 1t the apex
The under side of the frond is mi
nutely hairy and Rlandular. the latter
organs doubtless producing the pecul-
lar odor of the crushed frond. There
is no noticeable difference between the
fertile and sterile fronds of this spe-
cies: indeed, the sori are SO small that
one has to look rather closely to see
them at all. and . m2gnifier Of some
kind is necessary 70 show them to per
fection. Then il IL seen that reflexed
toothlet of the ultimate segments, us
ually on the upper side OF each lobe. il
holding fast tiny green cup.in which
the sporc cases are piled
The genus to which the Dicksonis
belongs Was named in honor OF James
Dickson. an English botanist. There
is but one species in North America
and this Is found only in suitable situ
ations, from Canada to Tennessee, and
from New England to Minnesota
There are upward of fifty species O
this genus scattered throughout thu
world. principally in warmer cOun
tries The majority Of them ar
aborescent. or tree ferns. One Of th'
tree ferns most commonly seen in cnl
tivation belongs to this family, and il
called Dicksonia Antarctica- -Popula
Science Monthly.