Breeding Nephrolepis Ferns 
different varieties. This can be profit- 
ably practiced by persons who are 
engaged in growing ferns for com- 
mercial purposes, because they have 
under their observation a large number 
of plants which they are already grow- 
ing for the market. The plants during 
their development are closely examined 
and those which show a tendency to 
differ in foliage or in habits of growth 
are isolated and grown directly in 
benches. 
The somatic variations, such as are 
found among ferns, may occur in a 
portion of a frond, or on the stem or 
fous Stack; sor «6m the rimmners. “The 
only variations which are of any value 
to the breeder are those which can be 
isolated. Not all variations can be 
utilized. 
WILL NOT GROW FROM CUTTINGS 
There is no way of isolating a varia- 
tion which occurs on a portion of a 
frond, for unlike some ferns and certain 
dicotyledonous plants, a portion of the 
leaf cannot be induced to strike roots 
to form an independent plant when 
brought directly in contact with soil. 
When the stem is above the level of 
the soil and an entire frond happens to 
differ from other fronds which arise 
from the same stem, the probabilities 
are that the variation or the somatic 
mutation, as it is sometimes called, has 
taken place on the stem. It is neces- 
sary to plant them deep enough to 
-cover the base of the leaf which one 
wishes to isolate. Most of the old 
leaves are removed in order to allow 
the development of new fronds. If the 
variation has occurred in the stem it is 
likely that the new fronds arising from 
the base of the sporting leaf will re- 
semble one another. On account of the 
depth at which the plant is set the base 
of these fronds including a portion of 
the crown will tend to strike roots. 
It must be remembered that this is 
not a sure method of separating a 
sported plant. In order to obtain the 
expected result there are three condi- 
tions which must be satisfied. In the 
first place the sported portion must 
extend over a considerable area around 
FERN PROTHALLUS 
This peculiar little plant (here magnified 
more than fifty times) grows from the 
fern spore and lies flat over the ground. 
It contains the male sexual cells (an- 
theridia) at the region marked ae , while 
there is a female reproductive cell or 
archegonium at the point marked ®. 
When ripe, the antherzoids make their 
way towards the egg cell with which 
one of them unites. This fecunda- 
tion starts the growth of a fan-shaped 
leaf-like structure, the base of which 
strikes roots and becomes an indepen- 
dent plant, whereupon the prothallus 
dies and decays. This indirect method 
of reproduction in the ferns is remark- 
able, ferns not giving rise directly to 
ferns, but rather to prothalli. (Fig. 21.) 
the base of the rachis of the leaf (called 
the stipe); in the second place, from this 
region new fronds should develop which 
will be like the sported frond observed; 
and thirdly, this region must root in 
such a manner that it will develop into 
an independent plant which it will be 
possible to isolate from the mother 
plant. 
For a sport of the second type, that 
is, when the variation takes place on a 
portion of the crown, the time it takes 
to satisfy these three conditions may 
vary from several months to a year or 
more, in sorne cases a negative result 
