144 THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



nevertheless be grown to perfection in the smokiest places, by giving it a 

 daily washing by means of the syringe. But in any case the hart's- 

 tongue should always be grown on shady damp slopes, where it can be 

 drenched with water without ever becoming water-logged. "When grown 

 in pots there should be for the same reason plenty of drainoge very care- 

 fully packed, and it should be potted in friable loam, the more fibrous 

 the better, but there need be no admixture of sand or charcoal ; for this 

 fern loves to root in firm, nourishing material, and is never luxuriant 

 when grown in a poor soil. 



There is no fern so easily increased as this. If left alone it forms 

 distinct new crowns beside the original, which may be removed by means 

 of the knife ; and if it is needful to propagate before the crown has so 

 extended itself, the original crown may be cut in half without any fear 

 of the loss of either. The best season for dividing is when the new fronds 

 are just beginning to start in the spring. Then take up the plant with- 

 out injuring the roots, or turn it carefully out of the pot, as the case 

 may be. Lay it on the potting board, and insert a sharp strong knife 

 between the rising fronds, go as to separate them fairly into two or more 

 parts, with a good centre to each. Pass the knife downAvard towards the 

 roots, but as soon as it has fairly cut through the caudex withdraw it, so 

 as to avoid cutting the fibrous roots through, which would waste a large 

 portion of them. Having really separated the caudex, disentangle the 

 roots belonging to each portion with the hand, so as to save a good 

 bundle to each division. As they interlace so freely, the passing of the 

 knife through them v.'ould destroy the greater part, and render it difiicult 

 to make good plants of the divided portions. It is best always to pot the 

 divisions in as small pots as the roots can be got into without shortening 

 them severely, and generally 60-sized pots suffice. In these put one-third 

 drainage, and fill in round and amongst the roots with a mixture of peat 

 and sand, or loam and sand, or clean leaf-mould. The crown should be 

 raised slightly above the level of the soil in the pot, and on the surface of 

 the soil silver-sand should be sprinkled. "Water these, and shut them up 

 in a frame, and cover with shading. Some weeks will elapse before they 

 begin to grow freely, during which time they must have very little water ; 

 but the inside of the frame should be frequently sprinkled, to maintain a 

 moist atmosphere about them. As soon as the Ironds begin to rise fi-eely, 

 admit a little air and increase the supplies of water ; and when the roots 

 begin to push through the bottoms of the pots, shift to 48 size, and use 

 firm, turfy loam, or a mixture of loam and peat without sand, and place 

 them anywhere in. the shade, where they can be abundantly supplied 

 with water. 



To some of our readers who have forests of ferns that occasion no 

 trouble at all, such directions as those just given for the increase of hart's- 

 tongues may seem very superfluous. Eut when we have to deal with 

 hart's-tongues worth a guinea apiece it is another matter, and the fern 

 collector must be an adept in managing the commonest, and hnow all the 

 ways of propagating such as may be had for nothing, in order to apply 

 this knowledge to the increase of varieties of great value. This process 

 of division is the simplest way of propagating hart's-tongues ; but it is 

 of use only to a certain extent, and if we cannot divide we must resort 

 to another and more difiicult method of increasing them, and that is hj 

 cuttings. 



