Boshnakian: Breeding Nephrolepis Ferns 
compactness of foliage causes decay of 
the center of the plant. Thisis especially 
evident in those varieties whose leaflets 
are very thickly set on the rachis. 
Such forms, if possible, should have an 
open center. 
When the originator is convinced 
that his plant conforms with the 
desirable characters just discussed he 
should begin to increase its numbers. 
This is best done by planting the fern 
in a bench and allowing plenty of space 
around it for the runners to radiate in 
all directions. These runners, like those 
of the strawberry plants, root at 
intervals and give rise to new small 
plants which can be easily severed after 
they have made five or more leaves. 
These little plants are first potted in 
small pots; in late spring or early 
summer these are again planted in 
benches where they are allowed to 
develop and produce runners. The 
new plants arising from these are 
severed in the same manner as before, 
and the practice is repeated until the 
desired number of plants for introduc- 
tion are obtained. 
INTRODUCING A NEW VARIETY 
The success that the new variety will 
have on the market will depend entirely 
upon the proper methods of introduc- 
tion. There are many instances where 
a certain variety has been sold on a 
very large scale although there has been 
a similar variety already on the market; 
but because of lack of proper methods 
of introduction the latter has had little 
more than a local sale. 
Since this paper has been prepared 
primarily for the practical breeder, it 
will not be out of place to give in con- 
clusion brief suggestions of the best 
procedures which should be followed in 
the introduction of new varieties of 
ferns. 
The number of the plants which the 
originator should have on hand before 
introducing depends entirely upon the 
degree of his ability to dispose of the 
plants and upon the excellence of the 
variety itself. For a good variety, 
from 5,000 to 30,000 plants and even 
more will be necessary. Depending 
upon the ease with which the runners 
250 
root it takes from three to four years 
to obtain them. The first customers 
are usually the wholesale growers 
of ferns who buy the plants in,order to 
produce larger ones after growing them 
for some time. They offer them to the 
market while the supply is still limited. 
The originator must naturally have 
enough on hand to supply these growers 
and to keep on supplying ferns while the 
latter are developing their stock of 
plants. The minimum time required 
for growers to put their stock on the 
market is probably six months. During 
this period the introducer may have a 
monopoly on the stock, and being free 
from competition can hold his price high. 
If, due to the lack of necessary green- 
house space, the grower cannot multiply 
his plant to the desired number, he will 
find it profitable to communicate with 
one or more large wholesale growers who 
will agree to raise part of the stock and 
return a certain percentage of the 
profit from the sales. There are, of 
course, many other agreements which 
can be made. Inthe case of N. 
Amerpohlii, for instance, part of the 
stock was shipped from Janesville, 
Wis., where it originated, to two 
wholesale growers in Philadelphia. When 
the stock had been increased, it was 
offered for sale simultaneously by these 
three firms. 
It will usually be found profitable to 
disseminate a new variety of fern in 
spring. When some of the greenhouses, 
especially carnation houses, are vacant 
during late spring and summer months, 
the benches can be profitably utilized 
for the growing of ferns. It is not 
necessary to change the soil for these 
plants. Violet houses are also excellent 
for ferns in summer. The runners 
root before the benches are needed for 
the regular crop. These rooted runners 
may be potted in 2144-inch pots. By 
the following spring they develop good 
sized plants. Another advantage of 
spring dissemination is the opportunity 
of exhibiting specimen plants at the 
fall flower shows. 
As wholesale buyers are very critical 
about a new plant which has notjyet 
stood the test of time, no effort should 
