XV111 INTRODUCTION. 



over the surface of the moist earth. Place upon it a bell- 

 glass, and set the pot in a shady part of the stove or Orchid- 

 house. The sun must never be allowed to shine upon the 

 bell-glass. 



Fern-spores will keep for an extraordinary length of time. 

 The late Mr. Shepherd, Curator of the Botanic Garden at 

 Liverpool, obtained a crop of many kinds of stove Ferns 

 by sowing them in pots filled with peat earth, covering 

 each pot with a flat piece of common glass, and where the 

 cultivator has no bell-glass he might adopt the same method. 

 To prevent drip from the condensed water on the under side 

 of the flat glass, all that he would have to do would be to 

 turn the glass over when the vapour had condensed ; the 

 air of the house would take it off the glass. If bell-glasses 

 are used (and we greatly prefer them) they will require 

 wiping dry occasionally. The bell-glass should be a little 

 smaller than the pot, so that water could be poured gently 

 upon it to wet the surface of the soil whenever it appears 

 dry. The spores are so minute, and so easily perish, that the 

 finest rose-pot would infallibly destroy them, but by applying 

 the water over the bell-glass, the soil, by capillary attraction, 

 becomes gradually moistened, and thus the delicate spores are 

 preserved uninjured. If all goes on favourably the plants 

 will soon make their appearance, probably mixed with 

 several common species. Some recommend baking the soil 

 to prevent these from growing ; but we always find seed- 

 lings of the desired species did not come up so freely, if at 

 all, in soil so prepared. The experienced eye will soon 

 detect the kinds wanted to grow, and the rest may be 

 weeded out as soon as they are distinguished from the 

 species expected. When these have attained their second 

 or third fronds they should be pricked-out, as it is tech- 



