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SlIPTEMBEB 7, 1905. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



871 



servation and some little experience to 

 catch them just at the proper stage. 

 Though as a general rule ripeness is 

 indicated by the sori turning brown or 

 beginning to shake off, some of the 

 genera, notably the davallias, shake their 

 spores much more readily than othsrs, 

 and the inexperienced are often apt to 

 delay too long and gather, instead of 

 ripe spores, fronds with but empty cells. 

 The fronds when gathered should be 

 wrapped closely in paper and laid in 

 a dry, warm place for a week or two 

 until thoroughly dry, after which the 

 8por«s can be readily shaken off. The 

 general opinion is that the sooner thsy 

 are sown after being thoroughly ripened 

 the better, but although not usually 

 necessary or practical to keep them for 

 any length of time, I have sown spores 

 of Pteris tremula that had been wrapped 

 up in paper for two years with satis- 

 factory results. 



Another somewhat difficult matter is 

 to procure spores of the individual va- 

 rieties true or unmixed. Fern spores 

 are of such a light nature that the least 

 breath of air will carry them all over 

 the house, the spores of one variety 

 finding lodgment on the fronds of an- 

 other. I have sown spores from adian- 

 tum fronds and reaped, instead of adian- 

 tums, an excellent crop of pteris, where 

 the spores had got mixed in this way; 

 the adiantum spores were there, but the 

 pteris, being the stronger growing and 

 quicker germinating variety, it was sim- 

 ply a case of the survival of the fittest. 

 The lesson thus learned is to keep the 

 varieties by themselves and as far away 

 from others as possibla for some time 

 previous to the selection of spore fronds. 



Preparing Seed Pans. 

 The next thing is the preparation of 

 the seed pans. These should be thor- 

 oughly cleaned to insure that no germs 

 of moss or fungus are left. A great 

 deal of what is known as damping-off 

 has its origin from this source, being 

 the work of a minute fungus. Fill the 

 pans about one-third full with crocks, 

 larger ones in the bottom and those on 

 the top finely broken; over this place a 

 layer of moss, then fill to within an inch 

 and a half of the top with ordinary 

 potting soil. Over this place half an 

 inch of soil which has been subjected to 

 a baking process long enough to kill all 

 vegetation in it. This insures against 

 the growth of moss, which in unbaked 

 soil would be more rapid than that of 

 the ferns and prove a source of consid- 

 erable trouble. This baking of the soil 

 was at one time one of the secrets of 

 fern cultivation, but it is now pretty 

 generally practiced. 



The surface soil in the pan should bs 

 pressed down and made as smooth as 

 possible. A good soaking of water 

 should be given and allowed to drain 

 off before sowing the spores. Sow these 

 thinly, 1 may say, very thinly. The 

 spores being very minute, it is an easy 

 matter to sow too thickly without be- 

 ing aware of it. Don 't cover the spores 

 but place over the pan a close-fitting 

 pane of glass. The glass must be turned 

 frequently to prevent the moisture from 

 dripping, which would throw the spores 

 all into little bunches. Water must 

 never be given from the top, but the 

 pan should be set in a saucer, which 

 should always be kspt full and from 

 which sufficient moisture will be drawn. 



The best place to start the spores is 

 in a close atmosphere, in a bottom heat 

 of from 60 to 65 degrees. Shade should 



Floral Piece by August Peterson, Now Designer for tlie Woodland Park 



Floral Co., Seattle, Wash. 



be provided during the day, but should 

 be removed when the sun is not shining 

 directly on the house. In from ten days 

 to three weeks, according to the variety, 

 the surface of the pan will assum? a 

 green, mossy appearance. 



Transplanting. 



If the spores have been thinly sown 

 it may not be necessary to transplant 

 until they begin to throw up the little 

 fronds, though they gsnerally require 

 transplanting before that stage is 

 reached. For this trarsnlanting phallow 

 flats are the most suitabh, a loose, sandy 

 compost being provided. They siioulU 

 be lifted in small bunches on a wooden 

 label, which has been rounded and 

 thinned down on one end for the pur- 

 pose. The back of the label is pressed 

 down into the soil sufficiently to make 

 a little hollow receptacle and, when 

 withdrawn from below, leaves the little 

 clumps in proper position without hav- 

 ing to be touched by hand. They be- 

 ing of a very fragile nature, the least 

 touch will bruise th?m. 



Some don 't believe in watering at 

 this stage, but I make it a practice 

 to sprinkle them lightly after transplant-, 

 ing and find no bad results from it. 

 I always, however, use water a£ a tem- 

 jierature of about G5 degrees. Cover- 

 ing with glass will be necessary for some 

 time after transplanting, but this should 



be gradually removed as the little fronds 

 gather strength. Shading must be strict- 

 ly attended to through all this stage 

 of their growth, as a few minutes sun- 

 shine would work irreparable damage. 

 They must also never be allowed to suf- 

 fer from dryness. 



When the plants begin to get crowded 

 they should be potted up into thumb 

 pots, using a compost of lot^m, leaf- 

 mold and sand in about equal .portions. 

 The P!anj9:^ii^, tjot bg jgnoled^out in- 

 'di vidually, ^'b^ i^ -V§ot|;e#; 'i^m i«*r five 

 together will make servic'ea'ble plants 

 much quicker. For subsequent pottings 

 (which should be given just ag soon as 

 the pots they are in are well filled with 

 roots) a rather heavier, moderately en- 

 riched soil should be employed. 



Ferneries Ever Popular. 



Eaising from spores is by far the 

 most convenient way of keeping up a 

 supply of small ferns, the demand for 

 which seems to be rapidly on the in- 

 crease, they being extensively employed 

 for filling fern pans, small vases, etc., 

 for house decoration. The demand for 

 certain classes of plants or flowers is 

 «,pt to be controlled te'a'j greater or le* 

 extent hy fads or fashion, ' but the fern 

 pan seems to me to be one of those 

 things that are not going to be lightly 

 cast asiilo, for when my lady buys a 

 nice pan of ferns she knows that ahfi 



