2 34 



below when necessary by plunging the pan up to its edge 

 in water, until it appears glistening on the surface. Flood- 

 ing the soil surface itself is detrimental, until it is covered 

 with mature pvothalU when, if done with clean water, it may 

 facilitate the fertilizing process. 



To return to our original point, viz. the time required for 

 germination, it may perhaps be roughly put down at three 

 weeks in the growing season, but the subsequent develop- 

 ment depends largely upon the nature of the caudex which 

 the Fern forms, and if this be large and fleshy in the full 

 sized plant, it is probably a question of four or five years 

 before the full character is brought out. When once, how- 

 ever, a course of sowing has been begun, each season brings 

 its own reward in turn, and many ferns when only a year 

 old or even less are very beautiful, even though not of full 

 size. Owing to the difference in the period of spore devel- 

 opment, it is always advisable to sow each species and 

 variety separately, unless crossing or hybridizing is intended, 

 since otherwise the more rapid growers are bound to develop 

 at the expense of the others. So soon as the young plants 

 show, or sooner if the pvothalli are crowded owing to too 

 liberal sowing, it is well to prepare pans, scalding them as 

 indicated, and prick out little patches of pvothalli an inch 

 apart, pressing them gently into the soil after inserting them 

 into little depressions made to fit them. Each will then 

 produce a little clump of plants which, when again crowded, 

 can be lifted and dropped into a saucer of water. This 

 will facilitate the separation of the plants, and particularly 

 the roots, and enable them to be pricked out separately 

 again an inch apart, when they will develop into a size for 

 potting on. By this time their character will be evident, 

 and any rogues or inferior forms should be thrown away or 

 improvements marked for special care. 



C. T. U. 



