THE 



FLORICULTURAL CABINET, 



JULY 1st, 1835. 



PART I. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



ARTICLE I. — On the Propagation of Foreign Ferns. 

 No. II. By J. R. 



As you were so obliging as to insert my last communication on 

 Ferns, I proceed in my remarks on them, to consider the princi- 

 pal requisites to their successful propagation by Seed. 



Soil. — The soil in which I grow most of my Ferris/ is" a mixture 

 itf sandy peat, or light heath soil, with from a third to a half of bog- 

 earth ; the bog earth not being riddled too fine. It being difficult 

 to find proper soil for Ferns, without some of our indigenous 

 Ferns growing in it, I was at first greatly inconvenienced by the 

 seed which had been shed from our native plants. It came up 

 always before my seed from foreign plants appeared, grew (pucker 

 and stronger, and generally destroyed the younger seedlings ; so 

 that after wasting several months, I found, when they were grown 

 sufficiently large to distinguish the species, that my pains and 

 patience had Been bestowed on the common Brakes, Aspidium filix- 

 mas, or any of the Ferns growing plentifully in the neighbour- 

 hood. Btking the soil certainly destroyed the seeds contained in 

 it, but this plan had its ill effects besides the trouble. I found 

 tli«' betl [inventive was having the heath or peat soil, laid in a 

 ll< ip, and tamed frequently to destroy the weeds or young plants 

 gftiwiag in ii. Aftet letting it lie from twelve to eighteen months 

 (what I now UM has lain still longer), and having all the small 

 VOL. III. u 



