"406 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICDLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



1 May 2, 1867. 



As to soil for filling up the interstices in the rockwork and 

 for planting in, it is hardly necessary to do anything in the 

 matter, for Filmy Ferns do not require rich soil. We may 

 employ a compost of equal parts of turfy brown peat, such as 

 is used for Orchids, and chopped sphagnum or bog moss, the 

 peat being broken with a spade, adding to it an equal quantity 

 of sand or broken gritty rock from the size of a hen's egg to 

 that of a pea, the whole being well mixed and incorporated, 

 and placed in the interstices and hollows. In any prominent 

 position more soil should be used, and, omitting the sphag- 

 num, such kinds as Todea pellncida may be planted there. 



Previous to planting, the house should be syringed twice 

 daUy, and every part made thoroughly moist. The planting is 

 dilEcult to describe ; for some kinds it merely consists in 

 placing them on a ledge of rock, for others in putting them in 

 a crevice and laying a few pieces of grit around them to main- 

 tain them in position, whilst for others, again, the trunk of a 

 tree Fern is set on its end or laid on its side in a corner ; others 

 must be furnished with soil beneath and around them, but in 

 no case should they be buried or covered. When in position 

 they should be sprinkled overhead twice daily, and every stone 

 both of the floor and rockwork ought to bo kept constantly 

 wet. It is not possible to have a syringe with too fine a rose, 

 for water cannot be sprinkled over them too finely. Some kinds 

 are impatient of water on the fronds, these will be named here- 

 after. The stones and every available surface being sprinkled 

 twice daily from the tanks or reservoirs in the centre of the 

 houses, and the water being directed with force against them, 

 further watering may in most instances be dispensed with, as 

 the moisture will run from the rockwork to the roots of the 

 Ferns, and be dispersed over their fronds in the form of a 

 thick mist. If there be sufficient moisture it will hang from 

 the points of the fronds, which will be "covered with minute 

 dew-like drops every morning," as Messrs. Backhouse describe. 

 The amount of moisture, as shown by a hygrometer, is com- 

 plete saturation, and if not so much it is too dry for Ferns of 

 this class. If the rock and floor be kept wet the amount of 

 moisture will not be far deficient. 



As to air-giving, that is equally difficult of description, for 

 air must not be admitted so freely as in the case of plant- 

 houses generally, and yet it is essential. There must be no 

 cold draughts, and yet air must be afforded daily, and, indeed, 

 constantly, but in very moderate quantity. Anything ap- 

 proaching a confined atmosphere is injurious, for though 

 Filmy Ferns iiourish in humidity, they also delight in fresh 

 air. Air, then, should be given in such a quantity and manner 

 as not to dry the atmosphere more than can be avoided. More 

 air is, of course, necessary by day than night, and in this 

 respect they require nearly if not quite as much air as Ferns 

 generally, only the ordinary kinds are less susceptible of its dry- 

 ing influence. Give them air if you do not wish the fronds to 

 become brown before they are well developed, at the same time 

 Bee that it does not render the atmosphere deficient in humidity. 

 The amount of air may be liberal if the necessary humidity is 

 maintained. 



Temperature is an all-important point ; the stove kinds gene- 

 rally will be funnd to do well in a winter temperature of from 

 50° to 60°, increasing with sun or the heat of the external air 

 to not more than 05°, and this temperature should be main- 

 tained from October to March. In March the temperature 

 should be slightly increased, and go on gradually increasing 

 until from 75° to 80° be attained, which may occur by the 

 middle of May, or from that time to June. At this tempera- 

 ture the house should be maintained to the end of September, 

 when its heat should be allowed to decline so as to fall to a mini- 

 mum by the close of October. This temperature will be suflicient 

 for the majority of the AVest Indian and tropical species, but a 

 few require a greater degree of heat ; still they may be aeeom- 

 modateJ in one house by having the warmest places assigned 

 to them. 



The kinds from Chili, New Zealand, and Tasmania succeed 

 admirably in a winter temperature of 40' as a minimum, fire 

 beat being only employed to prevent the temperature from 

 falling below that point, and the general winter and summer 

 temperature will be regulated by the external air ; this being 

 the case, the minimum in summer will be 60°, and the maxi- 

 mum between that and 80°, but generally about 70°. 



As regards shade, I have found nothing equal to a thin coat- 

 ing of white lead paint put on when the external surface of the 

 glass is thoroughly dry, and dabbing the paint before it dries 

 with a painter's dust-brush. This. shading I find ample. 



I have already stated that some kinds are impatient of water 



on the fronds, and some require more air than others, whilst 

 others differ in the matter of humidity and shade, and these 

 points I hope will be gleaned from the following list of species, 

 which is based on the catalogue of Messrs. Backhouse. 



S'^ovE Species, requiring a temperature of from 55° to 60* 

 in winter, and one of 80° in summer : — 



Tricbomnnes aiiceps, IJ to 2 feet high, forming tofts. Westlndieat 

 A't:rj' Iiiiniid and rathur close atmosphere. This is one of the best* 

 Tt^mperature* 5^i° to SO". 



T. Boj.ri, very small, requiring to be gi-own on the trnok of a Palm 

 tree or tree Feru, which it is said to clothe in the Mauritius. Tha 

 atmosphere requires to be verj' moist. It should have a position in 

 the warmest part of the house. Temperature ()()° to 80°. 



T. attenuatum, a tine species, closely resembling T. alatnm, found 

 on trunks of trees in the West Indies, and doing well on them in thia 

 country, as also in chinks of rock. The atmosphere must be very 

 humid and somewhat close. Temperature 5,')° to 80°. 



T. alatum. 1 foot high, tufted, growing on trunks of trees like the 

 last, and will thrive on blocks of wood or in crevices of rock. Tempe. 

 rature 55° to 80°. 



T. achillefefolium, handsome, tufted. 1 to li foot in height, requiring 

 a very humid and close atmosphere. This needs to be placed in the 

 warmest part of the house. Temperature 60° to 85°. 



T. Bancroftii small aud tufted, 3 to 5 inches high. To be kept 

 humid but airy. 



T. crispum, 18 inches high, tufted and handsome. Very humid hut 



airy. AVill do in a cool part of the house. 55° to 75°. West Indies. 



T. crinitum, tufted ; requiring the soU to be veiy well drained, a 



humid atmosphere, but no water on the fronds. It should have a cool 



sitnatiou. 50° to 75°. West Indies. 



T. elegans, 9 to 12 inches, needing the warmest part of the honse, 

 and to be kept very humid and close. 65° to 80°. West Indies. 



T. Filirula, creeping. It requires to be kept very humid and some- 

 what aii'y. Afford it a warm situation. 65'^ to 80°. Mauritius. 



T. javanicum, tufted, to 12 inches high. A vei*y humid and rather 

 close atmosphere. .Java and Philippine Islands. 



T. floiibundum, requu'es a clayey soil mixed largely with silver sand 

 and a little peat or leaf mould, and to be kept very humid and close. 

 Tufted, IJ foot high, and fronds very noble in appearance. Should 

 have a warm part of the house, 65° to 80°. West Indies. 



T. fimbriatum, allied to T. Kaulfossii, needing very moist soil, and 

 a humid aud somewhat close atmosphere. 55° to 80°. West Indies. 



T. Kaulfussii, tall (1 foot high); soil firm and vei-y moist ; atmo- 

 sphere humid and rather close. It should have the warmest part of 

 the house. 65° to 85°. West Indies. 



T. Kraussii, small aud creeping, requiring to be grown on a piece of 

 the trunk of a tree. It requires to be kept humid and airy, and will 

 succeed in a cool part of the honse. 50° to 75°. AVest Indies. 



T. Luscbnatianum, a climbing species, rambling over mossy rocks, 

 and succeeding in a cool part of the house. Humid and rather aiiy. 

 55° to 75°. Brazil. 



T. muscoides. creeping, needing a warm situation, and a humid and 

 rather close atmosphere. 65° to 85°. AA'est Indies. 



T. memhranaceum, creeping, requiring a warm situation, and a 

 very humid and rather close atmosphere. 65° to 80°. West Indies. 



T. i>lnma, as yet very rare, erect, 1 foot high ; requires to be grown 

 amongst decayed lops of wood and moss, and kept very humid. This 

 will do in a cool part of the honse. 5(i° to 70°. Borneo. 



T. pyxidiferum, creeping, growing on trunks of tree Ferns or stems 

 of Palms. Humid and rather close. 55° to 75°. West Indies. 



T. reptans. very small, requiring the stem of a Palm or tree Fern to 

 grow on, aud to be kept very humid and rather close. 55° to 80°. 

 AVest Indies. 



T. rigi'lum, 1 foot high, tufted, requiring to be kept very humid bat 

 aiiy. 55° to 80°. West Indies. 



T. rhomboideum, resembling T. javanicum, and, like it, from the 

 PJiilippiue Islauds ; 1 foot high ; needing to be kept very humid and in 

 the hottest part of the house. 65° to 85°. 



T. scandens, creeping ; needs to be gi'own on the stem of a Palm ot 

 tree Fern, aud to he kept hnmid but airy. It will do in the coolest 

 part of the house. .'iO" to 7U°. AVest Indies. 



T. rapestre, tufted ; grows on bare wet rocks. It should have tha 

 hottest position. 70° to 80°. Borneo. 



T. sinuosum, cUmbing on trees in the West Indies, and r6qairingf<> 

 be grown on logs of wood, and to be kept vei-y humid and rather closa. 

 AA'ill do in a cool position. 50° to 7."!". 



T. thujoides. 1 foot high, tufted. To be kept very humid and rather 

 close. 60° to 85°. Mauritius. 



T. spicatum, to be kept very humid and rather airy. 55° to 75*. 

 West Indies. 



T. trichoidenm, creeping, requiring to be kept vei*y humid aud rather 

 close. 55° to 80°. West Indies. 



Hymcuojihyllum asplenioides, requiring to be grown on mossy rooks 

 or logs of wood ; to be Lept very humid but rather airy, aud watered 

 freely. 55° to 75°. West Indies. 



* The temperature requisite for each kind is here stated, as it may bff 

 useful to those who wish to grow them in Wardian cases, for which thesa 

 plnnts are well suited. The temperatm-es are as given by Messrs. 

 Bickhouee & Son. 



