436 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



SWORD FERNS. 



These Ferns are suitable for window cul- 

 ture, doing well in tne dry air of the house. 

 Three species are in common cultivation; 

 ^ Nephrolepsis exaltata, 

 N E Bostoniensis and 

 N cordata compacta. 

 ^L ^'^^P'^ These are the common 



sword ferns, the Bos- 

 ton fern and the latter, 

 a dwarf variety with 

 uprig-ht, narrow leaves, 

 which is much used 

 in fern pans for table 

 decoration. All do 

 well in a compost of 

 loam, leaf mold and 

 sand. They should 

 FIG. 1927. Sword Fern never become pot- 

 bound and require an immense amount of 

 water. All are useful for hanging baskets, 

 wire baskets lined with growing moss being 



used, filled in with soil in which to set the 

 plants. New shoots start out through the 

 moss and soon the basket is hidden. The 

 common variety has leaves from 2 to 4 feet 

 long, while the Boston fern grows to a much 

 greater length. The plants increase rapidly, 

 the new ones growing from the tendrils 

 which run out from the old root ; when they 

 remain on top of the soil they should be 

 layered to hasten growth. Some sorts have 

 tubers which many suppose can be used to 

 propagate new plants, but they are simply 

 feeders or reservoirs of moisture for the use 

 of the plant. My neighbor removed all she 

 saw when repotting a new fern, planning ta 

 raise many new plants ; she not only failed 

 in her purpose; but killed the old plant. 

 Thrips and scale are the only enemies oi 

 these plants and they can be cured by smok- 

 ing for the former and washing the stems, 

 for the latter. — Park's Floral Magazine. 



HIGH FEEDING FOR PLANTS. 



INTERESTING experiments have been 

 carried on in plant feeding by G. M. 

 Sherman, of Hampden Co., Mass. His 

 d;^ plan in brief is to supply liquid fertil- 

 izers by means of a porous jar buried a foot 

 or more beneath the surface and filled from 

 time to time through ^ tube projecting above 

 the ground. 



The roots of the plant or tree collect 

 around the porous jar and absorb the fertil- 

 izers. The illustration shows a small appa- 

 ratus in operation. Patent has been applied 

 for. Mr. Sherman's experiments have been 

 mostly confined to rose bushes, which in 

 many cases appear to have made enormous 

 growth, shoots extending several inches per 

 day in some cases. The inventor expects 

 the principle to prove of great value in culti- 

 vation of all kinds of fruit and shrubs and 



will attempt to have the theory thoroughly- 

 tested at the state experiment station. 



H4^ 



'A 



Fig. 1928. Apparatus to Force Rapid Growth. 



