Fehnmij 20, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICOLTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



153 



FERNS AND FEEN-CULTURE. 



T all season.^; of the year we admire the grace 

 and elegance of our hardy and exotic Ferns. 

 There are vei-y few gardens in which they 

 do not find a place, and where their culture 

 is not attempted with more or less succeBS. 

 Year by year they are increasingly cultivated, 

 and, as a consequence, continued efforts are 

 made to obtain new species and new forms 

 to supply the demand. Some exceedingly 

 handsome species have been introduced 

 within the last few years, and many elegant and hand- 

 some forms of the old species have been selected. 



Perhaps the most graceful, or at least the most useful, 

 of all Ferns is the Adiantum cuneatum. It is veiy easily 

 cultivated, the mature fronds keep well after they are 

 cut, and there is none more useful for buttonhole flowers, 

 bouquets, or to mix with cut flowers for any decorative 

 purpose — indeed, seldom is any other species used for the 

 best bouquets in Covent Garden ; but the mature fronds 

 ought only to be used, as young fronds very quickly 

 shrivel. The true British Maiden-hair is much like 

 A. cuneatum, but it has larger pinnules, and does not 

 gi-ow so freely ; it requires similar treatment to A. cunea- 

 tum when under cultivation, and is most at home in a 

 cool stove. Sevei-al distinct forms of this have been 

 raised; E.J. Lowe, Esq., of Nottingham, has two; the 

 best is A. Capillus-Veneris admirabile, of which the fronds 

 are more wavy and graceful than in the original. A. Ca- 

 pillus-Veneris daphnites is a more dwarf form of the 

 species, and the fronds have larger pinmiles. A. Capillus- 

 Veneris magiiificum and undulatum are also very desir- 

 able, and should be in all large collections. 



Of the recently-introduced exotic species of Adiantum 

 some have the young fronds tinged of a deep red colour. 

 A small-growing very neat species is A. tinctum, but it 

 is not of free growth. A. Veitchianum has fronds of the 

 deepest red, and is very free. Adiantum asarifolium is 

 a very novel species with simple orbicular fronds, when 

 full grown about 3 inches across. It should be grown for 

 its distinct character. A. concinnum latum is a charm- 

 ing form of the species ; the fronds are more erect in 

 growth. A. farleyense is the most magnificent of all, 

 but as it does not produce fertile fronds it is yet scarce ; 

 it can only be increased by division. It is not so easily 

 grown as most of the other species, and requires rather 

 different treatment. Most of the Adiantums thrive with 

 a fair supply of air, and should get a little sunshine ; 

 while A. farleyense is much affected by draughts, and the 

 ■fi-agile delicate pinnules are injured by sunshine. 



The potting material for Adiantums should be about 

 equal parts of tough fibrous peat and turfy loam ; a little 

 silver sand and a few pieces of charcoal should be added to 

 keep the whole porous. The repotting of Ferns should be 

 done with care ; if the ball has become matted with roots 

 prick amongst them with a pointed stick until they are 

 loosened out, but do not break the ball of earth. Some 

 of the old spent mould may be removed from the surface. 



No. 621.— Vol. XXrV., New Seeibs. 



The pots to be used should be clean, and they should be 

 one or two sizes larger, according to the vigour and 

 species to be potted. One large potsherd should be 

 placed at the bottom of the pot, and the smaller pieces, 

 which should be quite free from dirt, placed over it 

 in a careful manner. The compost should be packed 

 round the ball rather firmly, but not quite so firmly as 

 is done with hardwooded stove or gi-eenhouse plants. 

 Do not water the plants immediately after they are re- 

 potted ; this is a matter I have continually kept before 

 the readers of this Journal in all niy articles on pot- 

 culture. Experienced cultivators of pot-idants do not 

 require to be told about it ; but I have seen expensive 

 plants taken to the potting-shed, shifted into another 

 pot, and watered on the band-baiTow before being re- 

 moved to the stove or gi-eenhouse — such is barbarous 

 treatment, and highly injurious to delicate plants. Fre- 

 quently I do not water plants for a week or ten days 

 after they are repotted (when the operation is performed 

 early in the season), and by that time fresh rootlets are 

 formed, and ready to take up the water when it reaches 

 them. The same treatment apphes to aU classes of pot- 

 plants. 



Davalha is a useful genus of Ferns, and nearly all of 

 them are adapted for small houses. Some very distinct 

 and notable additions have been made during the last 

 and previous years. D. Mooreana is a noble and very 

 handsome species, its broad arching fronds are between 

 •2 and 3 feet in length. It is a stove Fern, having been 

 introduced to this country from Borneo. D. parvula is 

 one of the smallest of the species, the fronds are only a 

 few inches high, but are finely divided and very neat. 

 D. Tyermanii, or Humata Tyennanii, was brought into 

 notice last year ; this is very distinct, and similar in size 

 to the last. It is well adapted for basket-work, and was 

 introduced from the west coast of Africa. 



The Gold and Silver Gymnogrammas should be gro'^\ii 

 in all plant stoves, but they ought to be placed iu a 

 part of the house where they are out of the reach of the 

 syringe, as watering them overhead sadly disfigures them. 

 G. Laucheana makes a very neat medium-sized specimen, 

 and the gold powder underneath the fronds is of the 

 deepest yellow. A major form of this has been exhibited, 

 and the fronds have the same rich colour. G. ciysophylla 

 is also a very desirable species, slightly powdered on the 

 upper surface and golden yellow underneath. Of the 

 Silverj' species, G. tartarea and G. argj'rophylla peruviana 

 are the best. A very elegant .species was exhibited by the 

 Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea, very recently. It seemed to 

 be a hybrid between the Gold and Silver species ; the 

 fronds are finely divided, and have a very graceful ap- 

 pearance ; it is named G. decomposita. 



The Lomarias are an easily-cultivated class, and some of 

 the species are very pretty. Lomaria gibba is very easily 

 pi'oduced from spores, and in a small state it is vei-y 

 pretty as a table plant. L. gibba crispa is a small-growing 

 form, which is also pretty in small plants, but it does 

 not make a handsome specimen. L. gibba BeUu is weU- 

 deserving of notice, as it makes a handsome specimen, 



No. 1S73.— Vol. XLK , Old Sebibs. 



