May, 



tQi3 



j'] Pitcher, Remarks on Ferns. 19 



These, if carefully removed and immediately placed in pots 

 suitably prepared, may frequently be grown into fine healthy 

 plants. 



In securing ferns from our natural gullies and elsewhere for 

 the purpose of transplanting in our gardens or for pots for our 

 homes, generally speaking they should be taken from places 

 where they can be readily removed with small balls of earth 

 or fibrous material, so as not to interfere with their own 

 immediate root system. Unless the plants are very young 

 and healthy, the fronds should all be cut half back, so as to in- 

 duce a more rapid new growth after planting. It is the ruthless 

 and indiscriminate pulling and dragging out of the ground and 

 gullies of large plants and bundles of ferns, and their removal 

 without any soil, that is attended with either little or no 

 success, and proves so destructive of the fern glades and gullies 

 nearest to Melbourne. 



It is interesting to know that so large a number of our native 

 ferns may be transferred to our private gardens and will grow 

 successfully both out of doors as well as in ferneries, verandahs, 

 and sheltered porches. To all lovers of plants it may be 

 pointed out that there are very few private gardens where a 

 suitable spot could not be found in which several species 

 might readily be grown and make an additionally attractive 

 feature of the garden. There are, however, a few essentials 

 for their successful culture, viz. : — Shelter from regular, direct 

 wind, an easterly or southern aspect, building or other vegeta- 

 tion shade from too long continued sunlight ; keeping very 

 old fronds cut, and the soil clean and loose ; plenty of water. 

 If these conditions are met, any or all of the following varied 

 selection of twelve species may be grown in the open garden : — 

 Alsophila australis, Dicksonia antardica, Aspidium aculeatum, 

 Lomaria discolor, Blechnum cartilagineum, Davallia diihia, Pteris 

 falcafa, Lomaria capensis, var. procera, Aspidium decompositum, 

 Polypodiitm punctatum, Todea harhara, and Gleichcnia circinata. 

 The foregoing have been named in their relative order of 

 value for easy culture, in case it is not desired to grow all of 

 them. To those who desire to grow our native ferns in pots, 

 cool conservatories, ferneries, verandahs, or sheltered porches, 

 it will be encouraging for them to know that, on comparing 

 lists of the different species grown by several of our members, 

 including Dr. C. S. Sutton, Mr. F. G. A. Barnard, Mr. J. Stick- 

 land, and others, it is found that no less than fifty of the seventy- 

 three Victorian species enumerated in the appendix to this 

 paper are in cultivation. With the exception of Trichomanes 

 and Hymenophyllum, which require to be grown in a well- 

 shaded frame under a bell glass or in some other dark, shaded 

 position where an atmosphere of continuous moisture can be 



