THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



511 



a vigorous and healthy root action. The best time to 

 take the work in hand is after the crop is cleared and 

 the canes well reopened, anv time from October to 

 March; the first thing required is a suitable stock of 

 material on hand, the top soil from a well stocked pasture 

 is the chief requirement. If it is possible to stock it in 

 a pile for a month or two before using, it will be bene- 

 ficial, adding a bushel of bone meal and a liberal quan- 

 tity of wood ash and old plaster on lime rubble to each 

 cartload of soil. Lime is a very essential factor in the 

 cultivation of the grape vine : where the soil is deiicient 

 an annual dressing of fresh lime should be applied to 

 the border. When operations commence, go to work 

 with sufficient help to deal with the work with despatch. 

 Start to remove the soil from the border by making a 

 trench on the outer edge and working toward the stem 

 of the vine ; save the roots as the work proceeds, remov- 

 ing every scrap of the old soil possible right to the back 

 of the border ; cut away any dead or damaged root and 

 keep the line roots plump by an occasional spray. If the 

 work is left for any length of time, cover them with 

 damp hay. Before filling in the new compound see that 

 the drainage is clean and efficient. Unsatisfactory drain- 

 age is very detrimental to roots, especially during the 



resting season; have the soil packed firm as the filling 

 in proceeds, placing the roots in layers well towards the 

 surface of the border. It will be found an advantage 

 to only fill half the border the first year, adding the re- 

 mainder as vines require it. When the vines are started 

 into growth it will be found a great help if the remainder 

 of the border is filled in with fermenting material not 

 only in maintaining a steady humid atmosphere in the 

 house, but the warmth will be a great encouragement in 

 starting the roots in the new border. The three main 

 elements of plant food are nitrates, phosphates, and 

 potash, and the aim in feeding should be to supply each 

 in sufficient quantities to obtain a balanced growth. If 

 one of these substances be lacking, the full balanced 

 growth will not be obtained. If the phosphate and pot- 

 ash, which are slow acting manures, are applied in the 

 making up of the border in the form of bone meal and 

 wood ash the supply of nitrogen can be regulated by 

 surface feeding in the form of liquid manures, dung, 

 etc. Lack of nitrogen will show in the appearance of 

 the leaves, pale, undersized foliage being the result; an 

 excess of nitrogen will be evident by grassy leaves and 

 stems. 



Fern Culture 



By J. F. Huss. 



The somewhat limited facilities usually at the com- 

 mand of many growers in the house culture of Ferns 

 necessarily limits the selection of varieties to those 

 that are hardy enough to thrive under more or less 

 congenial conditions ; yet there will be found a suf- 

 ficient number of these to gratify a healthy desire for 

 variety. 



To grow an assortment of Ferns and commence a: 

 the spore stage is truly a work of interest, and only 

 thus can one get the complete joy of Fern culture. 

 This requires eveness of temperature and exacting at- 

 mospheric conditions, but with a wardian case to ger- 

 minate the spores and carry them through the early 

 stages, the growing stages are comparatively simple. 

 The spores can be started any time during the year, 

 but duirng the early spring months is the best time, 

 as the required temperature, 65 to 75 degrees, can then 

 be readily maintained. Ordinary flower pots about 

 four inches in diameter or pans up to six inches in 

 diameter and two and one-half inches deep can be 

 used. 



The best material for snwing will be a mixture of 

 sifted leaf mold, peat, light soil and clean sand in 

 equal proportions. While it is not absolutely neces- 

 sary, it is desirable that this should be sterilized. This 

 maj- be accomplished by steaming the soil or holding 

 it over a good fire for a few minutes in a tray or 

 shovel. In preparing the pot or pan for sowing it 

 should be filled to within half an inch from the top, 

 filling the bottom first with enough broken crockery 

 or cinders to insure thorougli drainage. This may be 

 filled in until there will not be over one and one-half 

 inches of the prepared soil on the surface, but that 

 will be quite sufficient for sowing the spores. When 

 the pots are prepared for sowing they should be thor- 

 oughly watered an hour or two before sowing, giving 

 the water time to find its way through the drainage 

 system. The spores should be spread thinly on the 

 surface and the pot must remain covered with glass 

 until germination is well effected, and any watering 



can be done from beneath by simply standing each pot 

 in a saucer of water and allowing the water to soak 

 up through the soil. This permits watering without 

 disturbing the germinating spores, and in a way, filters 

 germs or any foreign vegetable matter that may be in 

 the water. The glass covering must be cleaned of 

 collecting moisture once or twice a day and can be 

 gradually removed as the spores germinate, which will 

 be in from ten to twenty-five days. When the prothal- 

 lus stage is passed and young fronds commence to 

 appear, the young plants should be transplanted into 

 pans prepared as before, and given room to develop 

 when they can be potted separateh^ and grown into 

 specimen plants. 



In all potting operations the compost used should 

 be of a porous nature. Small plants will require an 

 equal mixture of leaf mold, sand and fibrous soil ; 

 large plants which will remain in the same pot for a 

 considerable time will be benefited by the addition of 

 well rotted manure in the soil, and when well estab- 

 lished, an occasional light top dressing of "Clay's fer- 

 tilizer" or fine ground "bone meal." Good drainage 

 must be secured when potting, by placing pieces of 

 broken pots in each pot, and when the plant is large, 

 the addition of charcoal will insure perfect drainage, 

 and the plants must be potted firmly but not packed. 



In securing spores in variety for growing, it is well 

 to go to a reputable seed house and get the best ob- 

 tainable. If a general assortment is desired without 

 strict regard to \ariety, a package of mixed spores 

 will usually produce Ferns in such variety that a sup- 

 ply is assured not only for pot culture, but for plant- 

 ing mixed Fern pans adaptable for table decoration 

 and jardiniere work. 



Those who lack the time necessary in growing Ferns 

 from spores will have good results by purchasing 

 young Ferns, say two and one-half or three-inch pot 

 size, and grow these on into larger specimens if suit- 

 able varieties arc selected. They will grow splen- 

 didlv during the summer in a cool, airy, well lighted 



