836 



Gardening for Amateurs 



the fronds are thickly covered with a fine 

 powder, in some of a rich yellow tint, in 

 others paler, while in some it is white. This 

 powder is most conspicuous when the atmo- 

 sphere of the greenhouse in which the plants 

 are grown is fairly dry. There are many 



Trailing Fern (Gleichenia rupestris). 



distinct kinds, among them being Alstoniae 

 (gold), calomelanos (silver), chrysophylla 

 (gold), decomposita (sulphur), Mayi (silver), 

 Parsonsi (gold), ochracea (sulphur), peru- 

 viana (sulphur), peruviana argyrophylla 

 (silver), and schizophylla gloriosa with very 

 finely-cut bright green fronds. 



Lastrea. A free-growing class of ferns, 



most of which attain a height of between 

 1 and 2 feet. Our common British Male Fern 

 (Lastrea Filix-mas) may be taken as typical. 

 All, or nearly all, are, like this, of simple 

 cultural requirements. A selection of the 

 best is : aristata variegata, atrata, decom- 

 posita, erythro- 

 sora, 1 e p i d a, 

 patens. Rich- 

 ardsii multifida 

 and varia. 



Lomaria. 

 A great deal 

 of variabilitv 

 exists between 

 the different 

 sorts ; a few of 

 them have un- 

 divided fronds, 

 in others they 

 are once divid- 

 ed, while some 

 are more finely 

 cut. Several 

 are like a small 

 Tree Fern. 

 Chief a m o n g 

 them are atten- 

 uata. ciliata, 

 cycadifolia. dis- 

 color, gibba and 

 Herminierii. A 

 curious creeping 

 species, popu- 

 larly termed 

 the Spider Fern, 

 is L o m a r i a 

 aspera. 



Lygodium. 

 These ferns 

 are of a marked 

 twining habit 

 of growth, and 

 in vigorous 

 plants the slen- 

 der stems reach a length of 20 feet. They 

 are trained to the roof or pillars of the 

 fernery. A suitable compost may be 

 made up of loam, fibrous peat and 

 leaf-mould in equal proportions, with a 

 liberal amount of sand. If the pots are 

 effectually drained they may be freely 

 watered during the growing season. The 



