CULTIVATION. 353 



(three or four years) become weak, producing small 

 fronds ; it therefore becomes necessary to remove the 

 older parts and re-pot the younger portions in fresh 

 soil. 



Yery interesting and natural examples may also 

 be had by placing common cylindrical red chimney- 

 pots or drain -pipes in a pan wider by two inches than 

 the base of the cylinder, this space to be filled with 

 soil and planted ; the rhizomes will soon become 

 attached to the surface of the cylinder and in time 

 will cover the whole, forming a handsome pillar of 

 fronds. In order to maintain a proper degree of 

 moisture, a pan of water may be fixed inside the 

 cylinder, and if a piece of woollen cloth is placed in 

 the water, in contact with the cylinder, a constant 

 moisture will be kept up congenial to the plants. 

 The top of the cylinder is also useful for placing 

 on it some of the pendulous species ; for instance, 

 Phymatodes geminata, Goniophlebium dissimile, G. 

 neriifoliumj Campyloneuron angustifolium, Elaphoglos- 

 sum Herminieri. 



In Schellolepis sulauriculata and 8. verrucosa the 

 fronds are long and pendulous ; this necessitates the 

 plants being placed in an elevated position, such as 

 suspended from the roof of the house in shallow wire 

 baskets, the inside of which should have a lining of 

 sphagnum moss, which assists to retain moisture, and 

 also gives a clean and neat appearance. Plants of 

 these two species thus treated have at Kew produced 

 fronds 12 feet in length, hanging down in a very 

 graceful manner. There are several other Epiphytes 

 of special interest, such as the species of Vittaria 

 and Haplopteri*, which hang down from trees like 



2 A 



