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to reach the soil and do their part towards the forma- 

 tion of the coming season's crown. The fronds of 

 the previous season will, in the deciduous species, be 

 absolutely brown and withered, but still serve some 

 purpose as a protection of the crown from dry winds and 

 frost. Those of the evergreens, though more or less 

 battered if grown in the open by winter storm and stress, 

 will retain much of their verdure and not only afford greater 

 protection than the absolutely dead ones, but undoubtedly 

 contribute by chlorophyllic action to the formation of the 

 coming frond system. Hence, in neither case is it 

 advisable to be too drastic in clearing away the debris, 

 and if for the sake of tidiness the perished fronds are re- 

 moved, the protection indicated above should be maintained 

 by liberal mulchings of old leaves around the crowns. Other- 

 wise those new roots which always spring from the basis of 

 the new fronds may get nipped by cold drying March 

 winds, and the first set be thereby crippled. 



The absence of any young and delicate growths at this 

 period, the coming frond crop being still snugly packed 

 within the crowns, naturally permits of freer handling than 

 at any other time, while the energy induced by the long 

 winter rest enables the plants to bear, with practically no 

 check at all, the stress of transplanting and dividing 

 operations, which in the growing season can hardly be 

 effected to such advantage. Ferns of the crown-forming 

 type such as Lasireas, Athyriums, Polystichums, whose fronds 

 arise on more or less shuttlecock lines round a central axis 

 cf growth, invariably display their finest character if they 

 can be grown as single crowns, instead of as clumps, which 

 most of them have a tendency to form by means of lateral 

 offsets. With single crowns, we obtain all-round sym- 

 metrical plants, of which each frond can display its 

 charms without interference with others. We also 

 encourage growth by preventing root competition in the 

 soil, which must follow where numerous crowns closely 

 compacted are allowed to form. The result is that not 



