AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



PERU'S. Whether viewed collectively as plants of 

 extreme beauty and interest when grown as specimens, 

 or for their general usefulness in arrangements with 

 flowering subjects, Ferns are indispensable, and possess 

 attractions peculiar to themselves. The very large num- 

 ber of genera now in cultivation, including native and 

 exotic, stove, greenhouse, and hardy, supply means of 

 making a suitable selection for every requirement. Re- 

 markable variation in size and habit is most noticeable 

 among- Ferns, apart from the extreme conditions tinder 

 which the different ones succeed. The now almost uni- 

 versal use of plants and cut fronds intermixed in floral 

 decorations, has led to their production in immense 

 quantities annually, to supply the demand for a few of 

 the more popular of genera and species that are suit- 

 able for the purpose. The popularity of Ferns is ever 

 increasing, as ideas regarding the supposed difficulty in 

 their culture, and the amount of heat required, have 

 been of late considerably modified, many being found to 

 succeed in much cooler positions than was at one time 

 supposed to be suitable. The majority require more or 

 less heat, but many that are kept in a high temperature 

 would be healthier and do better in a somewhat cooler one. 

 Hardy Ferns nre, perhaps, more plentiful in varieties 

 than in distinct species, although the latter are numerous. 

 Both are interesting and useful for various positions out- 

 side, and are in combination extremely diverse in general 

 habit. It will be impracticable, on account of space, 

 to describe here separately the cultivation of every genus 

 referred to this heading. The following general remarks 

 respecting the treatment of the different groups, accord- 

 ing to the amount of heat or other special requirements, 

 with cultural notes on some of the principal genera, may, 

 however, with the description accompanying each indi- 

 vidual genus separately, prove sufficiently suggestive for 

 the treatment of all. 



PROPAGATION. This is effected in various ways, ac- 

 cording to the different habits or modes of growth 

 exhibited in the several types. The most general plan 

 of propagation is by spores, but with many species it is 

 at best difficult, and in many cases quite impossible, to 

 obtain these, and raise plants from them successfully. 

 The most popular of Ferns, Adiantums, and several species 

 of Pteris, are easily raised in immense quantities from 

 spores. All Ferns that form several crowns may be in- 

 creased by division; and those with creeping rhizomes, 

 like many of the Davallias, are easily perpetuated either 

 by layering the points or removing portions that have 

 formed roots. A few Aspleniums particularly produce 

 small bulbils along the upper portion and at the end 

 of the fronds, and these eventually form plants, if re- 

 moved and placed in soil. The increase of Filmy Ferns 

 is, in most cases, an extremely delicate operation. Plants 

 imported from their native habitats, with every care 

 taken in transit, frequently do not live to become esta- 

 blished, even if they arrive in fairly good condition. 

 These may be propagated by carefully made divisions 

 of such plants as become established and grow well. 

 Tree Ferns are imported in quantities, and a large pro- 

 portion generally succeed. Young plants may be raised 

 from spores, where obtainable, but it would take many 

 years for them to grow to the size of imported stems. 

 The spores of many of the Tree Ferns germinate freely 

 enough, but, under cultivation, never advance beyond the 

 prothallus stage. 



Spores. The fronds from which spores are required 

 should be carefully examined at frequent intervals, when 

 they are beginning to ripen, in order to obtain the spores 

 at the proper time. When the sori begin to turn brown, 

 the fronds should be cut and allowed to dry in close 

 paper bags. The sooner they arc sown, after being kept 

 a few days, the better, as any part of the year is suit- 

 able for the operation, early spring being, however, pre- 

 ferred for the majority of species. They should be sown 



Ferns continued. 



in pots or shallow pans that have been half-filled with 

 crocks, the remainder being filled to within $in. of the 

 top with a mixture of fine sifted loam and very small 

 pieces of crushed brick. An even surface may be obtained 

 by pressing firmly with the bottom of another pot. The 

 soil should then be watered and allowed to drain before 

 the spores are sown, as by watering afterwards the latter 

 might be washed away. Fern spores are extremely minute, 

 and, consequently, should be scattered very thinly over 

 the surface of the soil, pieces of glass being placed over 

 the tops of the pots. The pots should be stood in saucers 

 of water and placed in a close frame of a propagating 

 house, being kept shaded at all times during sunshine, but 

 not in dull weather. Laying pieces of paper on the out- 

 side of the frame, and removing them when not required, 

 is a handy method usually adopted. When the spores 

 are sufficiently grown to be visible as very minute plants 

 a stage that varies considerably, with different Ferns, 

 in the time taken to reach it they should be very care- 

 fully pricked off in pots of similar soil, filled, this time, 

 level with the top. Very small patches must be taken on 

 a stick, having the least notch cut in the end, and they 

 should be merely pressed into the new soil about lin. 

 apart. No water should be applied overhead until the 

 little plants have been pricked off some time, and have 

 formed fronds. Sufficient will have been supplied by 

 the pots being placed in water, and the moisture con- 

 tained inside the frame, which is not usually one with 

 bottom heat. Adiantums are frequently fit for pricking 

 out in a month or six weeks after being sown. These, 

 or any others, should be returned to a similar frame after- 

 wards, and kept close until small plants are established, 

 when air should be very gradually admitted. If condi- 

 tions are suitable, the young Ferns grow fast in the 

 spring or summer ; and the next shift should be into pots 

 singly, or, in the case of Adiantums, each little bunch 

 of plants may be treated as one, for quickly forming de- 

 corative subjects. liaising Ferns of any description from 

 spores is an exceedingly delicate operation, and one that 

 requires considerable care and attention to accomplish 

 successfully. It frequently happens that spores obtained 

 from fronds of any particular Fern which may have been 

 kept separated from others, will, when sown, apparently 

 produce a host of young plants that eventually are found 

 to belong to another and commoner species or genus. 

 The fact of spores being so light as to be removed and 

 carried by a breath of wind, may account for the presence 

 of the commoner one, that would probably overgrow the 

 other ; or good spores of the one desired may not have 

 been present at all. The mode of treatment above de- 

 scribed applies to the raising of both stove and green- 

 house Ferns, and, with the exception of a cooler tem- 

 perature, will be also suitable for the hardier species. 

 Young plants should be potted on before they are very 

 full of roots, as, if allowed to become starved in the 

 younger stages, it is a long time before they recover. 



Divisions, Sfc.> The best time for dividing Ferns, or 

 for propagating by means of the creeping rhizomes, is just 

 before growth commences, in February or early spring. 

 It is best not to divide too severely, as small plants are 

 much better obtained from spores if that plan be prac- 

 ticable. Rhizomes should be pegged to a piece of 

 peat, or on small pots of soil, and allowed to form roots 

 before being detached. The insertion of the little bulbils 

 in pots of soil, in a close frame, will soon increase the 

 stock of those species which produce them. 



STOVE FERNS. An idea is often formed that tropical 

 Ferns require a great heat at all times, with constant 

 heavy shading in summer, and but little air at that 

 season as well. This is altogether a mistake, as the 

 result is invariably weak, elongated fronds, that are at 

 once subject to all insect pests, and are rarely strong 

 enough to stand any change to which it may be necessary 



