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Gardening for Amateurs 



of propagation is to cut off the thick fleshy 

 growths known as " toes," which develop 

 near the bottom of the pot when it is full 

 of roots. If potted up. these soon form 

 young shoots and make valuable little plants 

 for dinner - table decoration. Cordylines 

 thrive in fibrous loam, a little leaf -mould, and 

 coarse sand. 



Ferns. The fern family is very exten- 

 sive, and contains certain kinds which with 

 ordinary care and attention may be grown 

 successfully in a room. Ferns are naturally 

 moisture-loving plants, and should not be 

 kept near a fire or, during summer, in hot 

 sunny windows. In winter the plants do 

 not require much water, but in summer 

 healthy plants need a liberal supply. Ferns 

 are propagated by spores (which are as the 

 seeds of flowering plants), by division of the 

 rhizomes or rootstocks, and one or two by 

 bulbils which develop on the fronds. The 

 soil for ferns should consist of equal parts 

 fibrous loam, peat, leaf-mould and coarse 

 sand. For Adiantum, Pteris and Aspidium 

 use a double quantity of loam, and, if not 



The Japanese Spiraea (Spiraea japonica). 



at hand, peat need not be used. The end of 

 March and April is a good time to repot and 

 divide ferns. 



Ribbon Fern. Thousands of Pteris or 

 Ribbon Ferns are grown annually to supply 

 the florists' shops, for this is the favour- 

 ite room fern. The fronds are fairly hard, 

 and last well. There are numerous kinds of 

 Ribbon Ferns ; the best are Pteris cretica 

 and varieties major and crispata ; P. serru- 

 lata and variety cristata ; P. Wimsetti, P 

 Childsii, and P. tremula. 



Holly Fern. This has very distinct, hard 

 and shining dark-green leaves. The botanical 

 name is Aspidium or Cyrtomium falcatum, 

 and the common name of Holly Fern is 

 given owing to the resemblance of the foliage 

 to that of the Holly leaf. 



Spleenwort. The best of these is Asple- 

 nium bulbiferum, the fronds of which have 

 been likened to Carrot leaves. The plants 

 are very attractive and very useful for rooms. 

 If more than one Spleenwort is grown, A. 

 Belangeri, A. Hilli, A. Coleiisoi, and A. 

 laxum form a further selection. 



Golden Polypody. Polypodium aureum is 

 a very striking fern, forming golden-coloured 

 furry rhizomes on the surface of the pot, and 

 having attractive grey -green fronds 2 feet 

 or more in length. A very pretty variety 

 with crested fronds is named Mayi. 



Hare's Foot Fern. Davallia Canariensis is 

 very good fern for fairly light positions in 

 a room. The name Hare's Foot originates 

 from the resemblance of the rhizome, covered 

 with brown scales, to a hare's foot. A second 

 Davallia, D. Mariesii, has smaller rhizomes 

 and fronds, and is known as the Squirrel's 

 Foot Fern. 



Maidenhair Fern. Though the most 

 popular fern, the common Maidenhair, 

 Adiantum cuneatum, is not the best for a 

 room ; it does well for a few weeks, and then 

 usually needs a few weeks in the greenhouse 

 to recuperate, though some amateurs grow 

 it successfully in a north window. More use- 

 ful for a room are one or two varieties of the 

 British Maidenhair, A. Capillus-Veneris, called 

 Mariesii, and obrienianum. 



Ladder Fern. The crested and tasselled 

 varieties of Nephrolepis, the Ladder Fern, 

 are very numerous, but only one or two of 

 those with sturdy hard fronds stand well 



