12 THE BOOK OF FERN CULTURE 



some fibrous peat and sand may be added, but first of 

 all spread the loam out and see that it is free from worms 

 and other vermin. 



The leaf mould should be well decayed, and that from 

 Beech and Oaks is the best. It is almost impossible to 

 get this free from worms, but if some soot is mixed with 

 it before adding it to the other soil they may be destroyed. 

 The black soot from ordinary house chimneys should be 

 used. It is dangerous to use the soot from the green- 

 house boilers. Manure from spent hotbeds may be used 

 freely, or any short stable manure if it is properly dried 

 and rubbed through a sieve. Some soot may be mixed 

 with the manure, and if laid up for a short time the 

 worms or worm's eggs will be destroyed. 



When mixing the compost the sieve may be used for 

 the manure and leaf-mould, but the loam should be 

 broken up, and all the fibre retained. It is a common 

 error to sift the compost and throw the best (that is the 

 fibrous lumps) away. 



In preparing the soil some variation has to be made 

 for the different sorts, yet the general heap may consist 

 of two-thirds loam and the remainder made up with 

 leaf-mould and manure with sand added according to 

 the texture of the loam , for those which require it peat 

 can be added. Almost all the Adiantums succeed better 

 without peat if the loam is good. For the ordinary 

 Adiantumsj Pteris, Cyrtomiums, etc., some bone meal may 

 be added. This should be the pure bone meal, not dis- 

 solved bones. 



Formerly peat was extensively used, but since Ferns 

 have been so generally grown for market, it has been 

 proved that it is quite unnecessary for most sorts, in fact 

 they do better without it. The best Adiantum Farleyense 

 I have seen have been grown in loam, manure, and sand 

 only. 



Many Ferns will succeed in almost any ordinary potting 



