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crowns in the centre, the subsequent growth producing a 

 sort of Siamese twin connection, a sharp knife may be 

 used to start the separation, until it is found that the crowns 

 yield to pressure and come freely away as in the other 

 cases. In doing this care should be taken not to squeeze 

 the upper parts in which the new fronds are packed, but to 

 confine the pressure to the vicinity of the initial cut. As 

 many of the best varieties of Polystichum form bulbils on 

 the fronds near the bases, it is well when removing even 

 the dead fronds to look out for these as a means of propa- 

 gation, since they retain vitality long after the rest of the 

 frond has perished. 



Repotting should not be done unless really necessary. 

 Well-established single crown specimens do well for years 

 together in fair-sized pots or pans, if mulched occasionally 

 with a little fresh soil. We have in our collection a 

 remarkable instance of this. It must be close on thirty 

 years ago we installed a crested Lady Fern in a cork 

 receptacle, formed of a roofing slate, about two feet by one, 

 with a large piece of curved cork, pierced with holes here 

 and there and secured to the slate by copper wire, another 

 smaller piece of curved cork being secured to the bottom to 

 retain the soil. That fern is as robust as ever, though the 

 soil has never been renewed but only replenished by a 

 handful or so of soil every few years. Sundry small ferns 

 have appeared in the holes aforesaid and do equally well. 

 Ferns with travelling root-stocks, like the Polypodies, are 

 also best left alone if in good condition. To increase them 

 is easy, any piece of rhizome, with a frond or two and a 

 growing tip, is sure to establish itself. Ferns, on the other 

 hand, which are out of condition should be turned out and 

 repotted, all dead matter being removed, and as small a pot 

 used as will contain them. Let the pots be well drained 

 and a careful look-out be kept for worms and grubs, 

 especially the white curved maggots of the Weevil, which, 

 with Hartstongues in particular, is very destructive, the 

 maggots devouring the roots and crowns during the winter 

 and the beetle the fronds during the growing season. 



C. T. D. 



