222 



Commercial Gardening 



watered and kept in shaded spots. They grow freely if the temperature 

 is kept up to about 65 to 75 F. at night, and in a few weeks are ready 

 for transferring into 2J-in. or 3-in. pots singly, or two or three together 

 in a 5-in. pot. 



This method of raising Ferns from spores applies to almost every 

 species and variety. In practice, however, it is found more convenient 

 with some of the Aspleniums, like bulbiferum, biforme, &c., to detach 

 the plantlets or bulbils on the fronds and treat them exactly in the 

 same way as the young Ferns raised from spores. Most of the Nephrolepis 

 are propagated by means of the stolons or runners that are freely produced. 

 In this work only the most remunerative kinds of Ferns are alluded to. 

 Readers interested in others are recommended to consult The Gardeners 

 Assistant. 



Insect Pests, &C. Generally speaking thrips and aphides are the 

 worst enemies of Ferns, but they can be kept in check by the use of 

 nicotine, soft-soap, and quassia solutions being freely applied when neces- 

 sary; or by vaporizing the houses. A pest known as the "mite" has, 

 however, practically defied all remedies, and thousands of market Ferns 

 chiefly Pteris cretica and its varieties, and the Aspleniums of the bulbi- 

 ferum section have been destroyed by its attacks. Vaporizing, syringing, 

 and fumigating have proved useless, and there was nothing left but to burn 

 infected stock, clear out and sterilize the soil by burning, and cleanse the 

 houses by thoroughly washing with hot limewash and paraffin emulsions 

 operations that meant a considerable reduction in the profits of the grower 

 for market. In some cases where none of these proceedings were carried 

 out, and were even despised, the loss was suffered as an " act of God ", and 

 allowed to wear itself out. This it did in two or three years, apparently 

 the result of over-production and suffocation on the part of the Fern mite. 

 With this disease, as most others, it will pay the grower to keep his soil 



sweet and pure by exposure to 

 the weather before use, by atten- 

 tion to proper ventilation and 

 keeping up a " buoyant " atmos- 

 phere, and by attention to care- 

 ful watering. 



3. KINDS OF 

 FERNS 



Aerostichum. A large genus 

 of Tropical Ferns, few of which 

 are grown in any large quantity. 

 There is great variation in the 

 shape of the fronds, but all agree 

 in having the spore clusters 



Fig. 310. Aerostichum crinitum 



