Notes and Gleanings. 315 



years expended money and time in purchasing and cultivating new varieties 

 know to their cost that it is something more than mere fancy that guides their 

 opinion ; and the time is rapidly approaching when purchasers will be more cau- 

 tious than ever in their expenditures upon new grapes whose merits are known 

 only to the originators. 



While on this subject, I would remark, that the statement occasionally met 

 with in the rural papers, that the acreage in grapes on this continent is nearly 

 two millions, has surprised me. Is this near correct ? I do not know how many 

 acres of grapes may be found in California ; but, if there are more than fifty thou- 

 sand planted this side of the Rocky Mountains, I should be pleased to know 

 where they are. W. S. W. 



Ferns from Spores. — Many writers, following either theory or practice, 

 have given information and directions for raising ferns from the spores. The 

 methods generally used, and the directions usually given, require a greenhouse, 

 both for the raising and propagating of seedling ferns. Having made two or 

 three attempts (without success) without a greenhouse, or artificial heat of any 

 kind, but with bell-glasses, prepared earth, and careful watering, I finally deter- 

 mined to try the most reasonable, at the same time most natural, means of rais- 

 ing them that I could. I took a small Wardian case, about sixteen inches square 

 and twelve inches high, merely mixed equal parts of rich peat with enough sand 

 to make it crumble without soiling the hand, and filled and pressed gently down 

 the earth into the pan ; then, taking the spores of as many different varieties of 

 native ferns as I could procure, I dusted the surface over quite thickly with them, 

 reserving a small space, about four inches square, in one corner, for some spores 

 of Italian ferns, which were collected by a friend, and handed to me with the 

 request that I would try and raise some seedlings from them. This was on the 

 loth of January. On the 15th of February, a little over a month, the earth 

 seemed to become suddenly green : and, to my pleasure and astonishment, I found 

 my spores of native ferns, which I had collected with care during last autumn, had 

 made their appearance ; so had also the Italian ones, taken from plants collected 

 as far back as 1854. This experiment, although the simplest, hdid succeeded 

 wonderfully; for, with a magnifying glass of moderate power, I could see the 

 small specks of vegetation separately, which, when taken collectively, must have 

 numbered millions, so heaped up on each other did they seem to be. 



Instead of watering them in the usual way, I moisten both plants and earth 

 with a gentle spray about once every twenty-four hours ; giving the case the sun 

 quite freely in the early morning. They are now making rapid growth. I would 

 not advise the use of much water on the earth, but on the plants, in the form 

 of spray. I would advise a moderate amount of sun, — sufficient to produce con- 

 densation in the case. As this is the time to try an experiment of this kind, I 

 make this communication for the benefit of those who are interested ; at the 

 same time asking if this is not the simplest and most inexpensive way of raising 

 ferns from the spores. James L. Little, Jim. 



February, 1868. 



