1 68 NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 



of ferns may be successfully cultivated. The pots should 

 be filled one-third with drainage, composed of broken pots 

 .and lumps of charcoal. A little of these materials broken 

 rather finely and mixed with the soil will be an improvement. 

 The pots should be plunged in tan, coal ashes, or sawdust, 

 for the purpose of keeping the soil in the pots uniformly 

 moist and cool. 



Raising Ferns from Seed (or Spores). Large 

 numbers of ferns may be raised from seed by adopting the 

 following method : Take peat soil one part, sharp sand one 

 part, loamy soil one part, and one part of finely broken pot- 

 sherds (broken pots) and charcoal, well mixed together. Take 

 boxes, pans, or pots, fill one-third with roughly broken pot- 

 sherds, filling the remainder with the mixture to within an 

 inch of the top. Before, however making the compost, it is 

 a good plan to partially roast the soil and peat in an oven or 

 over the fire, this will effectually destroy any seeds of weeds, 

 and all insects or germs of life of any kind ; this plan is 

 strongly recommended. Having filled the pots or boxes, 

 water with a fine rose watering pot, saturating the soil 

 thoroughly, after which let them stand for a few hours, then 

 take the spores and dust them thinly over the surface : they 

 will not require any covering of soil. Cover the pots and 

 boxes with sheets of glass, and place in a cool shady place, 

 for at least a fortnight, be particular to place the pots or 

 boxes on boards or slates, or on a thick coat of coal ashes 

 to prevent the entry of worms into the pots which would 

 destroy the young plants. Be careful not to let the surface 

 get too dry ; the best way to administer water will be by 

 placing the pots in a shallow vessel filled with water, but not 

 more than will reach about half way up the pot. Let them 

 stand in the water for a few hours, when the whole surface 

 will be moistened by capillary attraction ; once a fortnight or 

 three weeks will be often enough to repeat the moistening. 

 The young plants should begin to appear in about two 

 months (although some slow-growing ferns take a much 

 longer time to germinate), and in another month they will 

 have developed their perfect fronds when the young plants 

 will be ready for transplanting. The glass may be removed 

 from the pots as soon as the young plants have for the most 

 part sent up one or two regular fronds. 



