1214 



FERNS 



FERNS 



even layers in the order above stated, then turn three or four times 

 which will leave the whole evenly mixed, when it will be ready for 

 use. For cult, of A. Farleyense, see p. 1212. 



Alsophila. Tree ferns, natives of tropical America and Australia. 

 A. australis and A. excelsa will stand sun with a copious supply of 

 water. Soil as for Dicksonia. Winter temperature for Australian 

 species, 50 to 55; for West Indian, 58 to 60 night. 



Anemia. A pretty class of small-growing ferns, sometimes 

 called the flowering ferns, as the fertile sprays appear along with 

 the sterile frond. They require an open porous soil and are not 

 deep-rooted. Moderate temperature, 52 to 55 winter temperature 

 by night. Propagated by spores. 



Angiopteris. Giant ferns, more resembling a cycad than a fern, 

 were it not for the spore cases. They are native of tropical Africa, 

 tropical Asia and the Philippines. They are deep-rooting, with 

 heavy and fleshy roots, and enjoy a rich deep and porous soil. 

 They require a high and moist temperature, not less than 60 

 by night in winter and will stand 90 or more in summer. They 

 require shade during summer, with more light during winter. A 

 soil as for dicksonias, with the addition of a little manure is satis- 

 factory. They should be potted just as growth is commencing. 

 Care should be taken not to bruise their fleshy roots; should any be 

 damaged they should be cut off with a sharp knife. Propagated 

 by spores and division, both a slow process, but more readily by 

 the large and fleshy scales carefully removed from the old plants, 

 laid between sphagnum moss, sand and broken crocks in a case 

 with a bottom heat of 80 or a little more; they should be laid on a 

 slant with inner side of scale facing upward. When they have 

 formed buds, emitted roots, and made two or three leaves, they may 

 be detached and potted singly in as small pots as their roots will 

 permit; return to case and inure to more light and air gradually; 

 each scale may bring four or five plants. 



Blechnum. Ferns of easy culture, requiring moderate shade. 

 Allied to Lqmaria. Several of them are dwarf tree ferns; others 

 have spreading rootstock. They will not stand dryness; require a 

 moderately strong soil containing a small amount of manure. 



Cheilanthes. A class of dainty and graceful ferns. They require 

 an open and porous soil; will not tolerate syringing, and require a 

 good light at all times. Propagated by spores and division, spores 

 preferred. They will not stand an overabundance of moisture at 

 any time, but will well repay proper care, as they are all very 

 beautiful. Some have fronds resembling the palmate fronds of 

 Doryopteris, while others are very much divided. The soil should 

 consist of one part fibry loam, one part peat, one part leaf-mold, 

 one part sand, one-half part broken crocks, one part sphagnum 

 moss and one-half part broken charcoal, broken quite small, the 

 whole thoroughly mixed together and the pots well drained. A 

 temperature of 50 to 55 suits them best in winter. 



Cyathea. Beautiful tree ferns, native of New Zealand and tropi- 

 cal America. C. medullaris will grow to a great height, from 60 to 

 75 feet, and is often seen in its wild state far above the surrounding 

 vegetation. Will stand full sun. Temperature for New Zealand 

 species, 50 to 55 winter; tropical American, 55 to 60 nights. 

 Soil as for Dicksonia. 



Cyrtomium. Fig. 1489. Ferns of easy culture. Require a 

 greenhouse temperature of 48 to 50 by night in winter; will 

 stand a strong light and partial shade. Useful for fern-dishes. 

 Allied to Aspidium. General culture for ferns. 



Davallia is a beautiful class of ferns found both in the tropical 

 and subtropical zones. The smaller-growing forms can be grown 

 in shallow baskets or pans and have a fair amount of rest in 

 winter. The Japanese fern-balls are probably D. bullata and D. Mar- 

 iesii, and can be laid out in the garden and frozen down to zero and 

 when the growing season returns watered and they will begin to 

 grow again. Dayallias with heavy rhizomes or any of the surface 

 creeping sorts will want to be kept a little on the dry side during 

 the resting period, which is from the beginning of December to about 

 March, when they will gradually recommence, and water should 

 be given accordingly. They must be syringed at least twice daily 

 t in winter, as black thrip is liable to attack them; should they be 

 attacked, dip in a medium solution of aphine or fresh tobacco water. 

 Should the plants be too large to handle, syringe them with aphine 

 or tobacco water at night and give a thorough syringing with clear 

 water the next day; apply two or three times, then stop for two or 

 three days, then repeat, after which the troubles will be over. 

 The cooler kinds will commence their growth about a month later 

 than stove kinds. They should be repotted or top-dressed just as 

 growth commences, if they require it. 



D. pallida is a fern which rests from December to March, at 

 which time gradual increase of water may be given it and by the 

 end of March it will be commencing its growth. It should be care- 

 fully separated, taking care not to injure the points of the rhizomes. 

 Many of them will be found all the way to the bottom of the pots 

 or pans m which they have been growing. It is well to leave an old 

 specimen undisturbed for three or four years and only give a light 

 top-dressing in the spring as growth is commencing, and weak 

 liquid manure about every two weeks as the fronds are unfolding; 

 but always water with clear water first, then follow with liquid 

 manure. It requires a stove temperature of 58 to 68 by night, 

 adding 6 to 8 by day on bright days, during its resting period, 

 with corresponding increase during the growing season of about 20. 

 It needs a good strong light but also shade. It requires a good 

 supply of water during its growing season and only a small amount 

 once a week, but must be syringed twice daily. The composition 

 of the soil should be an open and porous material consisting of the 

 following: two parts fibry loam which had been stacked about 

 six months and broken up by hand (not sifted or pulverized), one 

 part hbry chopped peat, one part leaf-mold, one part sand, one- 

 half part broken charcoal, using in the same manner as the crocks, 

 one part sphagnum moss chopped roughly, all the parts of this 



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placing a flat piece of crock over the holes flat side down. The 

 soil should be hand-picked so as to be free of worms and insects. 

 Ihis process is slow and tedious, but when there is taken into con- 

 sideration the length of time a plant is to remain undisturbed, too much 

 care cannot be taken. Place the curved pieces one against the other 

 until the entire bottom is covered, then place a good sprinkling 

 of clean % inch soil (no dust), and cover the whole with a thin 

 layer of sphagnum moss, covering the crocks evenly so that no 

 soil will pass through. The receptacle is now ready for the soil 

 Place some of the roughest of the soil directly over the moss, then 

 falling up to within 2 inches of the top, pack down evenly with a 

 wide potting stick so that they will not sink afterward; now put 

 m the rhizomes one by one, setting the points so that they will be 

 evenly distributed, and firm the soil tightly with the fingers, as a 

 potting stick cannot well be used on account of bruising; let them 

 be about even with the top on the sides and slightly rounded in 

 the center; stake the fronds with light stakes to keep them steady, 

 which will give them a neat appearance as they will have to remain 

 until the new growth has developed and the plant is reestablished 

 with new roots, when they will sustain themselves without any 



given as when first potted, but after this the plants will require 

 water more frequently as they will be making roots rapidly as will 

 be indicated by the foliage that has developed. Directly after pot- 

 ting keep the house close and increase the air gradually until full 

 air can be given. Hard-leaved ferns like davallias can stand a light 

 syringing three or four times a day on all bright days but none on 

 cloudy days unless there is artificial heat on. Decrease syringing as 

 the cool nights of the end of summer and autumn approach; the 

 temperature may also be lowered until it falls to the winter tempera- 

 ture with the declining season. The foregoing soil is suitable for 

 most shallow-rooting ferns. 



Dennstsedtia. With creeping rootstock. Winter temperature, 

 52 to 55. Propagated by spores and division. Culture as for 

 Microlepia. 



Deparia. A small group of ferns with arching fronds. Stove 

 winter temperature, 55 to 58. Propagated by spores or bulbils 

 that form on the fronds. Culture, see main article (p. 1210). 



Dicksonia. An interesting class of tree ferns from Australia. 

 They require a cool temperature and partial shade in summer, 

 but their stems must be syringed frequently. They must never 

 be allowed to dry at the roots, and even more copiously watered in 

 summer. Winter temperature, 45 to 48; can be stood outside in 

 summer. Can be propagated by spores or side growths carefully 

 removed from the parent stem without injuring the heel. Require 

 a soil of taree parts loam, one part peat, one part leaf-mold, a little 

 more than one part sand, some broken crocks and sphagnum moss 

 with the whole, and well drained. 



Didymochlxna. An interesting group of ferns of distinct habit 

 and growth. Winter temperature, 55 to 58. 



Diplazium. A rather coarse-growing but interesting class of 

 ferns, grown mostly in the greenhouse. Allied to Asplenium. A 

 fairly porous soil suits them best. Propagated by spores or division. 

 Winter temperature, 55 to 60. 



Doodia. A small and distinct class of ferns of cool temperature, 

 48 to 52. Propagated by spores and division. For culture, see 

 main article (p. 1210), 



Drynaria. Plants with a thick and downy rhizome. Propagated 

 by spores and division. All stove ferns allied to Polypodium. 



Dryopteris. Small stove ferns. Require' a winter night tem- 

 perature of 55 to 58. 



Gleichenia. A genus of most beautiful and graceful ferns, natives 

 of Australia, New Holland and tropical America. They thrive 

 best in a compost of one part loam, one part peat, one-half part 

 sand, one-half part broken crocks, one part sphagnum moss; in pot- 

 ting, the center of the plant should be dropped a little below the rim 

 of the pot so that the outer rhizomes can rest on the new soil, leav- 

 ing the center a little deeper than the outer edge; pin the rhizomes 

 down carefully but do not cover; pot firmly; give a gentle water- 

 ing; syringe several times a day, but take care not to oyerwater. 

 They love a cool, moist atmosphere; the tropical American ones 

 can stand a little more heat, also a little sun; winter temperature 

 for New Holland ones, 48 to 52; American, 50 to 55. Care 

 should be taken at all times not to ovorwater or let them get too 

 dry; the best way is to sound them with your knuckles, and in 

 fact almost any plant of careful treatment should be treated the 

 same way. 



Goniophlebium. Mostly a deep and free-rooting class of ferns, 

 demanding culture as for Polypodium. 



Hemionitis. An interesting class of low-growing stove ferns 

 requiring a porous soil. Winter temperature, 55 to 58. Propa- 

 gated by spores, or by pinning a mature frond having formed buds, 

 on a surface of porous sandy material, which readily form new 

 plants. 



Hemitelia. A distinct and striking class of tree ferns, native of 

 tropical America and the Philippines. They are all stove ferns 

 requiring 60 winter night temperature and ample moisture and 

 shade at all times; soil as for Dicksonia, as they are heavy and 

 deep-rooting. 



Hymenophyllum. A class of ferns of most graceful and delicate 

 structure; native of tropical America. They require a deep shade 

 and a shallow compost to grow in as they are found growing on 

 tree ferns and sandstone; the following will suit them best: sandy, 

 lumpy peat with very small pieces of sandstone and live sphagnum 



