DECORATIVE 



roots, which will furnish the vegetable matter 

 all Ferns delight in. It is an excellent sub- 

 stitute for leafmold, which is the ideal soil 

 for most Ferns, but which those who live in 

 cities and villages find it extremely difficult to 

 procure without making special trips to the 

 country in search of it. Mix this with equal 

 parts of garden loam, and add to it enough 

 sharp, coarse sand to make the entire mass so 

 friable that when some of it is squeezed firmly 

 in the hand it will readily fall apart when 

 pressure is relaxed. In such a soil any Fern 

 will grow well, provided other conditions are 

 favorable. 



The Boston Fern is propagated by runners, 

 which are sent out from old plants and take 

 root wherever a joint comes in contact with soil, 

 or by division of the old plants. I prefer the 

 latter method, because it gives one a larger 

 plant in a given length of time. If you have 

 an old plant and desire to increase your stock 

 from it, take a sharp, thin-bladed knife and 

 cut down between the divisions of the crown 

 in such a manner that each will have some roots 

 attached. Put these pieces in four- or five- 

 inch pots and leave them there until they have 

 filled the soil with roots. Then shift to seven- 



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