1212 



FERNS - 



FERNS 



Doodia caudata. 

 Doryopteris nobilis. 

 Lastrea aristata. 



variegata. 

 chrysoloba. 

 opaca. 



" Sieboldii. 

 Lygodium japonicum. 



scandens. 



Nephrodium hirtipes. 

 Nephrolepis exaltata. 



cordata compacta. 

 Platyloma Bridgesii. 



" falcata. 

 Polypodium aureum. 



fraxinifolium, etc. 

 Polystichum coriaceum. 



setosum. 

 Pteris Victoria. 



" tremula Smithiana. 



Adiantum cuneatum. 



' variegatum. 

 " grandiceps. 

 " Bausei. 



decorum._ 

 Fergusonii. 

 gracillimum. 

 mundulum. 

 tenerum. 

 Wiegandii. 

 Cibotium Schiedii. 



regale. 



Cyathea medullaris. 

 Cyrtomium caryotoideum. 



Fortune!. 

 " falcatum. 

 Davallia tenuifolia stricta. 



" Veitchiana. 

 Dicksonia antarctica. 

 Doodia aspera. 

 Doodia aspera multifida. 



The following trade ferns will develop into plants 

 large enough to be potted in about six months after 

 sowing spores: 



Adiantum pubescens. Pteris cretica albo-lineata. 



hispidulum. magnifica. 



Alsophila australis. Mayii. 



Gymnogramma calomelanos. nobilis. 



chrysophylla. hastata. 

 decomposita. adiantoides. 



peruviana. internata. 



sulphurea. Sieboldii. 



Lomaria ciliata. leptophylla. 



gibba. Ouvrardii. 



platyptera. palmata. 



Nephrodium immersum cris- serrulata. 



tatum. cristata. 



Nephrodium molle corymbif- nana. 



erum. tremula. 



Onychium japonicum. Wimsettii. 

 Pteris argyrsea. 



It should also be borne in mind, when calculating 

 time of sowing, that spores sown in the autumn will 

 require about four weeks longer for development than 

 those sown at other times of the year. 



Fern-spores are borne on the back or under side of 

 fronds. In some cases they are borne naked on under 

 surface of frond, while in others they are produced 

 under a scale-like membrane or indusium. In some 

 cases, as in Pteris, the edge of the pinnae is folded back 

 over the spores, while in adiantums a small part of the 

 leaflet is folded back over each little fruit-dot to serve 

 as a shield or indusium. Davallias form a small sack- 

 like receptacle at the extremity of the pinnae. The 

 proper time of gathering spores is when they assume 

 a light brown, rather dry appearance, or in the indu- 

 sium-bearing kinds when the indusium or shield begins 

 to open. Spores should be gathered on a dark day when 

 the fronds are slightly moist, as they will be better 

 retained in that condition, and will not be so liable to 

 get mixed when disturbed. Fronds, or parts of them, 

 should be cut off entirely in most cases, put up in tight 

 paper bags and stored on shelves in a dry closet for a 

 week, by which time, in most cases, they will be suffi- 

 ciently dry to have spores removed from them by rub- 

 bing the frond in a sieve which has about twenty meshes 

 to the inch. When thus separated from fronds, the 

 spores should be put up in small seed-bags and placed 

 in air-tight jars until required for .sowing. Cared for 

 in this manner, perfect success has been invariably 

 secured, even after keeping spores for years. 



Propagation by other means. 



Some ferns form little plants at the ends of pinnae 

 and of fronds, which upon attaining to sufficient size 

 may be detached from parent plants, planted into 

 shallow, well-drained seed-pans, and for a week or 

 two left in the propagating-frame, where they will 

 soon form roots, when they can be potted. Among 

 such are Adiantum caudatum, A. Edgeworthii, A. 

 lunulatum var. dolabriforme, Asplenium Belangerii, 

 A. bulbiferum, A. salicifolium, Polystichum angulare 

 var. proliferum, and many more. 



A very useful decorative fern is Nephrolepis daval- 



lioides var. furcans, and it will make a beautiful speci- 

 men plant in a comparatively short time. To grow 

 large quantities, the old plants should be cut back to 

 within 6 inches of surface of soil and placed in a house 

 where a bottom heat of 90 F. may be secured, when 

 they will soon form a large number of short, strong 

 fronds. At this time they may be divided into a number 

 of small plants, potted off and placed in the same posi- 

 tion as the parent plants. A somewhat slower method 

 is to plant put a number of plants on a bench into 5 

 inches of soil, in which soil the rhizomes, running over 

 the surface, will form a number of small plants, which 

 may be detached and grown on. 



A beautiful fern is Adiantum Farleyense, and it 

 deservedly ranks as the greatest favorite among fern- 

 lovers. It is best propagated by division. From old 

 plants, cut off all fronds down to the rhizomes, wash 

 off soil, cut rhizomes into pieces ^ inch long, insert 

 same into well-drained fern-boxes about Yi inch apart, 

 in \ l /i inches of clean, sharp propagating sand. Place 

 same in propagating-frame in a temperature of 70 F. 

 In this position each little fragment of rhizome will 

 form two or three little fronds in about fifteen or 

 twenty days, when they may be potted off singly into 

 2-inch pots and kept in a temperature of 70 F. The 

 soil best adapted to A. Farleyense is finely chopped sod 

 which has been piled for about six months, with one- 

 fifth well-decomposed cow-manure added. To attain 

 perfection in growth and coloring, A. Farleyense should 

 be kept in a light, airy and sunny house, in which every 

 condition of moisture and atmosphere can be kept 

 under absolute control. In a house of this kind, the 

 greatly admired and beautifully pinkish tint may be 

 easily obtained and fronds will be hardy and of good 

 substance. A temperature of 70 F. is at aU times 

 desirable. 



General culture. 



To grow ferns such as are used for jardinieres and 

 decorative work and mentioned in the two preced- 

 ing lists, a temperature of no less than 55 F. 

 should be maintained at all times at night in coldest 

 weather, with a rise of temperature in the daytime of 

 10 or 15. To keep ferns in a healthy and growing 

 condition, to prevent and to kill insect pests and dis- 

 eases, a proper condition of atmosphere should be care- 

 fully maintained at all times. Extremes in heat, moist- 

 ure or dryness should never be allowed. On a warm, 

 dry, sunny day, when a great deal of air has to be 

 admitted, much of the moisture of the house is conse- 

 quently carried off; it will be of great benefit then to 

 syringe the ferns once or twice a day, also occasionally to 

 dampen floor of houses. An excessively dry atmosphere 

 induces the development of the very troublesome pests, 

 thrips and red spider. On damp and rainy days a 

 saturated atmosphere should be prevented by supply- 

 ing a little artificial heat, even if some air has to be 

 admitted at the same time. This slight expense of 

 heating on damp days will abundantly pay for itself 

 by causing the growth of strong, thrifty plants. An 

 excessively moist atmosphere causes parts of fronds 

 of a great many plants to turn black and to rot off, 

 besides inducing the development of almost incurable 

 fungoid diseases. 



The soil for deep-rooting ferns should be as follows: 

 Three parts fibry loam, one part fibry peat, one part 

 leaf-mold, one part sand, one part sphagnum moss, 

 one-half part broken crocks and one-half part broken 

 charcoal. These ingredients should be thoroughly 

 mixed and ample drainage provided. For shallow- 

 rooting ferns the following compost should be used: 

 One part fibry loam, one part peat, one part leaf- 

 mold, one part sphagnum moss, one-half part broken 

 crock, one part sand, one-half part broken charcoal. 

 If the charcoal cannot be readily secured, half the 

 amount of sand and finely broken crocks will answer, 



