OTHER WAYS TO START NEW FERNS 



come up from a spore. The prothallium comes first, 

 and from that the fern grows. 



If you have sharp eyes you may be able to find 

 fern prothalHa in the woods or fields. Look for them 

 along the moist and shaded banks of a stream or on 

 decaying stumps. You may also see them at the 

 florists', where they are found in the boxes used for 

 growing 3^oung ferns. Sometimes they are on the 

 outside of flowerpots, where the spores have fallen 

 accidentally and have begun to grow. 



Perhaps you would like to raise some ferns from 

 spores. It is very easy and j^ou would enjoy w^atching 

 them. Put some rich earth in a deep flow^erpot saucer. 

 Scatter some spores over the surface of this earth, and 

 keep the soil moist by placing the saucer in a plate 

 containing a little w^ater. Cover the saucer with a 

 deep glass dish. This screens it from the sun and keeps 

 the earth moist. Look for the spores to begin to grow 

 in about a week. Sometimes it takes longer than that; 

 so do not become discouraged if the}^ do not appear 

 on time. From three to seven years is required for 

 a fern to become old enough to have spores of its own. 



OTHER WAYS TO START NEW FERNS 



You have learned how ferns begin to produce spores, 

 and also how the young plants grow from these spores. 

 But the ferns have other ways to start new plants. 



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