108 THE FORCING GARDEN. 
which fronds may be cut; one for their propagation by 
seed and by division ; and another for bringing on the 
specimens or the young plants for sale. The house for 
seedlings &c. (which should be partially under ground) 
must always be kept close with a good moist heat ; that 
for bringing them on for specimens and for sale should 
be kept ciose with a moderate heat ; and the one for the 
well-developed specimens may be kept moderately 
moist with ventilation at the top of the house, but none 
at the sides. By this arrangement the plants will be 
so far hardened that neither the cut fronds for bouquets, 
nor the plants for decoration or sale, will suffer somuch 
as they often do from the fact of their being taken 
straight from a high temperature and exposed to a very 
low one. The invariable consequence is either death, 
or what is as bad, a loss of all the points of future 
beauty. 
The soil most suitable for Ferns is, no doubt, one 
composed of two parts fine sandy peat and one part good 
tender maiden loam, the latter not made too fine, but 
chopped up with the spade turf and all and well mixed 
with the peat. The drainage for large pots must be 
well secured by first placing some good-sized crocks 
over the bottoms of them, and on these a good layer of 
smaller shreds, and then some siftings of the peat. 
The old fronds should be cut out to make room for 
the new ones, and an abundance of soft and tepid water 
must be given to all Ferns when growing, and that is 
always when they are in a moist heat, especially the 
maiden-hair class. There are, however, a few excep- 
tionstothisrule. There is what is called the Elkshorn, 
or Alcicorne, or Platyceriwm Alcicorne ; some call it 
Stagshorn: it belongs to the Polypodiwms. This Fern 
