Copyright, 1898, by 

 FUORISTS' PUBblSHirHO CO.. 320-335 Gaxton Building, GHIGAGO. 



Vol. I. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, MARCH 3, 1898. 



No. 14. 



ter being quite narrow and contracted 

 in much tlie same way as tliose of P. 

 cretica albo-lineata are wlien fertile. 



Tlie fronds of P. Victoriae are much 

 more closely variegated than those of 

 the last named variety, the marking be- 

 ing especially bright and pretty on the 

 fertile fronds, while the whole plant is 

 more attractive, though possil)ly less 

 vigorous and wiry in constitution. P. 

 Victoriae produces spores in the same 

 profusion that is common to the genus, 

 and their germination is equally free, 

 so that it is by no means difficult to get 

 up a stock. 



In potting off the seedlings a better 

 result will be obtained by placing two 

 or three of them together in one pot, 

 thus making bushy little plants that fill 

 up to advantage in a table fei'uery. 



lu regard to culture nothing special 

 need be mentioned, for the same condi- 

 tions that are found suitable for P. 

 serrulata and P. cretica will answer 

 equally well for the species in question. 

 W. H. TAPLIN. 



Pteris Victoriae. 



PTERIS VICTORIAE. 



This novelty of a few years ago has 

 already become quite a necessity to 

 some of our fern growers, and has been 

 distributed by thousands within the 

 past five or six years; 



The variegated ferns avail.ible for 

 florists' use are nearly all to be found 

 in the pteris family, and the form in 

 question has proved to be quite an ac- 

 quisition to the group, at the same time 



serving to remind us of the wide dis- 

 tribution of the various members of 

 this genus, P. Victoriae having been 

 introduced from the Solomon Islands, 

 while other members of the same fam- 

 ily are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, 

 America and Australasia. 



Pteris Victoriae is quite a compact 

 growing fern in a small state, the bar- 

 ren fronds being short and spreading, 

 while the fertile ones are much longer 

 and more upright, the pinnae of the lat- 



THE GERMINATION OF CHOICE 

 SMALL SEEDS. 



Seed sowing is now an important 

 part of the work of the florist. The 

 methods pursued are various and the 

 results vary as widely as the methods. 

 I recall a case where I had sent each 

 of two neighboring growers a quantity 

 of gloxinia seed, both lots out of the 

 same bottle of seed, and on visiting 

 them later found that one had a box of 

 seedlings in which the little plants 

 were "as thick as the hair on a dog's 

 back," while the box in which the other 

 had nnide his sowing had produced 

 nothing but green moss. The failure 

 had been due to lack of drainage. It 

 was a forcible illustration of how a 

 seedsman may be condemned when 

 entirely free from blame. In sowing 

 seed the most important thing is to 



