THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



Nephrolepis Exaltata Bostonicnsis Scottii. 



sembling the paw of some small animal, 

 give rise to their popular name of 

 hare s foot, squirrel s foot, etc. Poly- 

 podium aureum is often called the 

 hare s foot. 



The nephrolepis need more soil for 

 their roots and are not so truly trailers 

 as the davallias. They are so well 

 known little need be said here. They 

 multiply fast, and if given surface room 

 soon form large masses. Their stolons, 

 or what we would call in a strawberry a 

 runner, spread out in all directions, 

 sometimes above and sometimes below 

 the surface, but from them there spring 

 up a few fronds, which are most easily 

 taken off to form another plant, or left 

 to add to the size of the parent stock. 

 We think the nephrolepis is the most 

 useful of ferns grown, especially to a 

 commercial florist, and at the present 

 there is more glass devoted to their cul 

 ture than any other six genera except 

 the adiantums. Years ago N. tuberosa 

 was our standard fern for veranda 

 boxes. It is now seldom seen because 

 we have the N. exaltata Bostoniensis, 

 and now Scottii promises almost to sup 

 plant it in popular favor. 



N. Scottii is not more graceful and as 

 a decorative plant not more useful than 

 the Boston variety, but it has the ad 

 vantage of making a perfect specimen 

 in a small pot. There seems an unlim 

 ited use for these beautiful ferns. In 

 vases and windows or veranda-boxes 

 they are grand. If not neglected for 

 water they do well in the broadest sun. 

 There is scarcely a single plant that 

 does so well in a living room, always 



species of lygodium and an interesting 

 item appears in the Book of Ferns, 

 which says that our native Lygodium 

 palmatuni, which grows from Massachu 

 setts southward, was likely to become 

 extinct in the state of Connecticut, and 

 was protected by a law passed by the 

 state legislature forbidding its being 

 gathered, under a penalty of $100. It 

 would be interesting to know whether 

 that was a law made to be kept, or, 

 like most of our laws, made to be 

 broken. 



The trailing ferns are of the great 

 est use to the amateur who has a fern 

 ery as well as to the commercial man 

 for bankets, etc. They cover walls, 

 trunks of large ferns and rocks. 



The davallias are best known and are 

 grand for this purpose, spreading out 

 into large masses. Their rhizomes (or 

 creeping stems) creep on the surface 

 and are ornamental as well as the 

 fronds. Many of the beautiful species 

 are from warm countries, but will thrive 

 wherever 50 degrees is kept in winter. 

 Little- soil but thorough drainage is the 

 great requisite. Their surface rhizomes 

 when growing should always be kept 

 moist, and when partially resting in 

 winter never allowed to get dry. 



Some of the finest of this beautiful 

 genus are: D. Canariensis, D. bullata, 

 D. Tyermanni, D. dissecta, D. immersa, 

 D. Mariesii, D. Novse-Zelandia?, D. pen- 

 taphylla. The last six species are espe 

 cially adapted for hanging baskets. 

 Their curious and hairv rhizomes, re- 



Nephrolepis Rofescens Tripinnatifida. 



