On How Ferns Can Mesmerize Us
During this period, the English society fell under the enchanting influence of ferns, which starred in botanical romances and crimes.
Perhaps it is the way their branches move with the wind, the elegant shadows their leaves cast upon walls, or the way in which their supple rhizomes unwrap ever so slowly; but there is something in ferns that can ignite the most exquisite infatuation. And this is precisely what they did at a given point in history.
During the 19th century, England fell pray to the strangest of ailments: the fern fever, an intense obsession for all sorts of pteridophytes. Crystal houses were built all over the nation; brilliant temples to house the botanical jewels that occupied a great part of the Victorian minds. (Before, the tulip fever occupied that place.)
The fern fever may perhaps be understood based on a simple experiment: if one observes ferns for a long time, or if one visits a pteridophyta greenhouse, when one closes one’s eyes one will continue to see the shapes of their branches, perhaps not unlike someone who persistently plays chess and upon closing his eyes sees the board. Hence the “fernmania” invaded not just Victorian gardens but also made its way into art books, literature, houses; it inspired hundreds of botanical crimes and even some love stories. ––Victorians organized nocturnal reunions to go hunting for rare ferns, and these would often derive in matrimony or “pteridoromances” among the explorers. The obsession was named “pteridomania,” from Latin pterido for fern.
But the origin of the trend is the true jewel. In her book Fern Fever, Sarah Wittingham traces the beginning of fernmania to three friends who fell deeply in love with these plants around 1829. Nathaniel Ward, a doctor and aficionado horticulturist, became frustrated for his inability to grow the ferns he loved, so he created the “Wardian case”: an early type of greenhouse, ideal for the cultivation of exotic ferns.
Later, his assistant George Loddiges opened a fern hospital in Hackney, in east London. There, since ferns did not have the flashiness and popular appeal of their rivals the flowers, he spread the brilliant rumor (although it may contain a great deal of truth) that the taste and love for ferns was an unequivocal sign of intelligence.
In 1840, inspired by Ward’s and Loddiges’ efforts, Edward Newman published a book that praised the attributes and the distinguished pleasures evoked by ferns. A History of British Ferns was the only thing the period needed to fall at the feet of these beautiful plants. The book was reedited countless times and showed off in the fine houses of the English elite —perfect for the Victorians’ characteristic enthusiasm for amateur scientists.
Soon after this, ferns became a cultural phenomenon. To own a collection —whether grown at home or organized in the popular “fern albums” — was a coveted symbol of social status. The fern fever even detonated a botanical crime-wave. During the 1800s and 1890s, an eruption of crimes took place in which rare specimens were stolen from private lands to collect or sell them for sums equivalent to £1,000 per plant. Soon, pteridophytas became central to social gatherings and served as cupids between men and women who shared the same fever.
But, in the 20th century, the aesthetic romance between men and ferns decreased. “It’s impossible to guess the reason”, states historian Sarah Wittingham. “There was simply a rejection of the Victorian era.” For ferns, however, there is still hope. Researchers have discovered that they give soil its fertility back and, even if not everyone notices, pteridophytes can be found all over cities, casting sinister and elegant shadows on the walls that frame them.
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Katika kipindi hiki, jamii ya Kiingereza ilianguka chini ya ushawishi wa kuvutia wa ferns, ambayo ilicheza katika mapenzi ya mimea na uhalifu. Labda ni kwa sababu matawi yao yanatembea kwa upepo, majani yao yanaangazia ukuta, au kwa sababu mizizi yao ya mviringo huchanua polepole sana; lakini kuna kitu katika fern ambacho kinaweza kuamsha shauku ya ajabu. Na hili ndilo hasa walilofanya katika hatua fulani ya historia. Katika karne ya 19, Uingereza ilipatwa na ugonjwa wa ajabu sana: homa ya fern, ugonjwa uliosababishwa na aina zote za pteridophytes. Nyumba za kioo zilijengwa kotekote nchini; mahekalu yenye kuvutia ili kuhifadhi vito vya mimea vilivyochukua sehemu kubwa ya akili za Victoria. (Kabla ya hapo, homa ya tulipu ilichukua mahali hapo.) "Hii inaweza kueleweka kwa kutumia jaribio rahisi: kama mtu anaangalia ferns kwa muda mrefu, au kama mtu anatembelea pteridophyta chafu, wakati mtu kufunga macho yake ataendelea kuona maumbo ya matawi yao, labda si tofauti na mtu ambaye anaendelea kucheza chess na juu ya kufunga macho yake anaona ""bodi.""" Kwa hiyo "fernmania" ilivamia si bustani za Victoria tu bali pia iliingia katika vitabu vya sanaa, fasihi, nyumba; ilichochea mamia ya uhalifu wa mimea na hata hadithi za upendo. <unk>Waviktoria walipanga makusanyiko ya usiku ili kwenda kuwinda vipepeo wa nadra, na mara nyingi haya yangeongoza kwenye ndoa au <unk>pteridoromances<unk> kati ya wachunguzi. Ugonjwa huo uliitwa "pteridomania", kutokana na neno la Kilatini pterido linalomaanisha fern. Lakini chanzo cha mwelekeo huo ndicho kito cha kweli. Katika kitabu chake Fern Fever, Sarah Wittingham anaelezea mwanzo wa fernmania kwa marafiki watatu ambao walianguka kwa upendo na mimea hii karibu 1829. Nathaniel Ward, daktari na mtaalamu wa kilimo cha bustani, alivunjika moyo kwa kutokuwa na uwezo wa kukuza ferns aliyoipenda, kwa hivyo aliunda "kesi ya Warden": aina ya mapema ya chafu, bora kwa kilimo cha ferns za kigeni. Baadaye, msaidizi wake George Loddiges alifungua hospitali ya fern huko Hackney, mashariki mwa London. Huko, kwa kuwa ferns hazikuwa na flashiness na rufaa ya kawaida ya washindani wao maua, yeye kuenea uvumi mzuri (ingawa inaweza kuwa na kiasi kikubwa cha ukweli) kwamba ladha na upendo kwa ferns ilikuwa ishara ya wazi ya akili. Katika 1840, Edward Newman, akichochewa na juhudi za Ward na Loddig, alichapisha kitabu ambacho kilisifu sifa na raha za kipekee zilizotokezwa na ferns. Historia ya Ferns ya Uingereza ilikuwa kitu pekee kipindi hicho kilihitaji kuanguka kwenye miguu ya mimea hii nzuri. Kitabu hicho kilirekebishwa mara nyingi na kuonyeshwa katika nyumba nzuri za wasomi wa Kiingereza - kamilifu kwa ajili ya Victorians - shauku ya tabia kwa wanasayansi amateur. Muda mfupi baadaye, aina hiyo ya mwaloni ikawa jambo la kawaida katika utamaduni. Kuwa na mkusanyiko - iwe ulikua nyumbani au uliopangwa katika "albamu za fern" zilizopendwa sana - kulikuwa ishara ya cheo cha kijamii. Homa ya fern hata ilisababisha wimbi la uhalifu wa mimea. Katika miaka ya 1800 na 1890, mauaji ya aina mbalimbali ya mimea ya aina hiyo yalianza, na watu waliiba mimea hiyo kutoka kwenye mashamba ya watu binafsi ili kuikusanya au kuuuza kwa kiasi cha dola za Uingereza. Pteridophytes walikuwa na nguvu kubwa katika kuwasiliana na watu wa kawaida na pia walikuwa na uwezo wa kuwasiliana na watu wa kawaida. Lakini katika karne ya 20, mapenzi ya kimapenzi kati ya wanaume na vipepeo yalipungua. "Ni vigumu kukisia sababu ya jambo hilo", asema mwanahistoria Sarah Wittingham. "Hata hivyo, bado kuna tumaini kwa ajili ya vipepeo. Watafiti wamegundua kwamba wao kutoa udongo uzazi wake nyuma na, hata kama si kila mtu anaona, pteridophytes inaweza kupatikana katika miji yote, kutupa kivuli mbaya na kifahari juu ya kuta kwamba frame yao. Wakati desturi za kale zilipokuwa dini, kuibuka kwa dini kulibadili historia ya wanadamu. Kwa hiyo ni muhimu kuuliza ni lini na jinsi gani watu wa kale ibada akawa mifumo ya utaratibu wa mawazo, kila mmoja na yao Saba ramani ya kale ya Amerika Ramani si eneo. <unk> Alfred Korzybski Ramani si ramani tu. Wao ni makadirio ya kibinadamu, metaphors ambayo tunapata wote kijiografia na mawazo. The Ghost Islands: Msanii crocheted mifupa kamili na viungo vya ndani - Shannell Papp ni fundi wa nguo na crochet Alitumia miezi minne mirefu kutengeneza mifupa ya sufu yenye ukubwa halisi. Kisha akaijaza kwa viungo vya mwili wa binadamu, akifanya kama mgonjwa; wimbo wa heshima kwa ramani, mfululizo wa sauti, mdundo, wimbo na ukimya; muziki ni sanaa ya msingi zaidi, muhimu zaidi, na yenye nguvu zaidi ya lugha zote. "Hakuna kitu kama ""mwenyeji"" katika ulimwengu wa 17th-th century optics, lakini kwa kweli ni ""mwenyeji"" wa ulimwengu wa 17th-th century optics." Hiyo ndiyo sababu wanadamu wamevutiwa na kuvutiwa na vifaa vya macho na uwezekano wake kwa karne nyingi. Kama moyo, Je, unaweza kupata micro-taifa yako mwenyewe? Mifano hii ya ajabu inaonyesha jinsi inaweza kuwa rahisi Kuanzisha nchi ni, kwa njia fulani, kazi rahisi. Inatosha kufunua kuwepo kwake na nia ya kuunda chombo kipya cha kisiasa. Angalau hiyo ni nini imekuwa alionyesha na Msalaba wa ajabu: mapango ya galaksi ya New Zealand Mara nyingi, matukio ya ajabu zaidi ni <unk>wenye wivu wa wenyewe<unk> <unk>na wao kutokea ambapo jicho la binadamu hawezi kufurahia yao. Hata hivyo, zinaweza kugunduliwa, na tunapozipata tunapata uzoefu wa Je, una tabia ya kusoma isiyo ya kawaida? "Mwanzoni mwa kitabu chake, McLuhan aliandika: ""Mara nyingi tunasahau au tunapuuza kufikiria hali zisizo na kikomo ambazo zimefupishwa katika vitendo ambavyo tunaona kuwa ni vya kawaida.""" "Kutumia uma na kutumia fork, au kutembea barabarani na kuwa ""The sky is calling us, a love letter to the cosmos"" (video) ""We once dreamed of open sails and open seas"" ""We once dreamed of new frontiers and new lands"" ""We are still a brave people""" "Hatuwezi kusahau kwamba nyota sana tunaona siku hizi ni nyota sawa na dada wewe daima alitaka (lakini alifanya katika chandelier kioo) Lucas Maassen daima alitaka kuwa na dada.""" Baada ya miaka 36 ya kutafakari, aliweza kupata kioo cha kawaida, lakini kwa njia isiyo ya kawaida, kilichokuwa na umbo la chandelier. Maassen, mtengenezaji wa bidhaa kutoka Uholanzi, aliuliza: