THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



Adiaotum Wiegandii. 



rather large pinna; that are inclined to 

 be cristate. 



A. Wiegandii is compact in habit and 

 in a large plant reaches a height 

 of twelve to fifteen inches, and holds its 

 foliage in good condition during the 

 winter. This fern comes freely from 

 spores, the latter being plentifully borne 

 by plants a year old and upwards, and 

 the seedlings soon become satisfactory 

 plants in 3-inch pots if treated in 

 the same manner as A. cuneatum, a 

 night temperature of 60 degrees being 

 a proper mark at which to carry these 

 ferns. 



But little trouble is experienced from 

 the damping of the foliage with A. 

 Wiegandii during the winter, even when 

 grown quite close together, the regular 

 use of the hose having less effect upon 

 this fern than is often found with adian- 

 tums of low and compact habit. Thor 

 oughly matured fronds stand well when 

 cut, and the small plants will last 

 longer than those of A. cuneatum in a 

 fern pan, providing they are not used 

 in too soft a condition. 



Tn addition to the fine species de 

 scribed above and many others, all of 

 which make fine specimen plants, the 

 valuable, in fact indispensable, adian- 

 tuni is the cuneatum type, so generally 

 known as the maidenhair fern. Of these 

 the best known is A. cuneatum. Within 

 a few years another species or variety 

 has appeared which originated with Mr. 

 Crowe, of Utica, now sold under the 

 name of A. Croweanum. Some experts 

 have pronounced this a variety of 

 cuneatum, yet there is specific difference, 



for cuneatum is one of the most pro 

 lific with fertile spores, while Crowe 

 anum is always sterile and can only be 

 increased by divisions of older plants. 

 It has also longer stems and larger 

 fronds tha*j cuneatum. O Brianii is an 

 other species, resembling Capillus- 

 Veneris but not as graceful or useful 

 as cuneatum, yet useful to those who 

 do not succeed with the latter, of very 

 free and strong growth. It must be very 

 noticeable to all travelers in the British 

 Isles that A. cuneatum grows with great 

 luxuriance there and under conditions 

 that it does not thrive in here, which 

 simply means it likes the more humid 

 atmosphere found there. 



Some years ago A. cuneatum was 

 grown almost entirely in pots. It 

 is now, wherever largely grown for 

 cutting, planted out on benches in five 

 or six inches of good soil. These same 

 cultural directions will also apply to A. 

 Croweanum. Many growers have recom 

 mended for soil a fibrous loam, peat and 

 leaf-mold. The finest bench of Crowe 

 anum we ever saw growing was planted 

 in a rather heavy turfy loam and cow 

 manure, in fact, an ideal rose soil. It 

 was on a middle bench with very little 

 heat beneath the bench and this I think 

 a valuable point. Ferns don t want 

 bottom heat, it is quite contrary to their 

 natural environments. Shaded from the 

 bright summer suns, a brisk atmospheric 

 heat of 65 degrees is all they need, with 

 liquid manure frequently applied as 

 soon as roots have well spread through 

 the soil. Air-slaked lime was copiously 

 scattered over fronds and crowns of 



Adiantum Legrandi. 



