ON THE CULTIVATION OF FERNS FROM SPORES. 189 
practice. The fronds, the spores of which we desire to propagate, 
should be gathered when the spores are just brown, but not before, 
as they will probably not be sufficiently matured to germinate. If 
left after they have turned brown, there is always a chance of the best 
spores having been scattered, but in this matter one has often to take 
his chance of whatis got. The fern from which the spores are taken 
should be as isolated as possible, so as to eliminate the chance of the 
spores of other ferns having dropped onits fronds. Having picked a 
few pieces of a frond, or a few fronds if they are very small, they 
should be placed in an envelope which should be closed, and care 
should be take that every portion of the edge of each flap is gummed 
down, otherwise if you tie up a number of these envelopes together 
in a bundle, and have to travel any distance with them, the spores, 
which detach themselves as soon the frond begitis to get a little dry, 
will work out of one envelope and into another in the most extra- 
ordinary way. When you want to sow the spores the envelope should 
be cut along three sides of jt with a sharp knife. On opening the enve- 
lope a large portion of spores will be found to have detached them- 
selves; the pieces of fronds should then be shaken so as to clear 
them of spores, and if there are any spores still adhering to the 
underside of the frond, they should be rubbed off. The spores are 
then ready for sowing, unless the covering of the spores while on 
the fronds should happen to be bulky, in which casea little cautious 
shaking will separate the spores from the chaff, which can then be 
removed. ‘This, as well as the sowing, should be done in some place 
protected frem the wind, as the spores are very light and easily 
carried away by even a slight breath of air. Next as to the soil 
in which they should be sown. Ferns will germinate in any 
ordinary soil, but if you happen to take soil from the neighbour- 
hood of growing ferns, it nearly always contains a quantity of 
spores of those ferns which will germinate before those you sow, 
and will in many cases crowd them out. ‘The great thing is to 
get earth which contains no spores. I have successfully used 
earth which has been dug from the bottom of a newly-made deep 
excavation: but the best course it to take an ordinary brick and 
burn it thoroughly in a hot fire, so as to destroy any organic sub- 
stance which may be in or adherent to it, and then powder it and 
put the powder into a tin canister, and keep it away from the garden. 
When you wish to sow fern spores, take a clean pot, fill it up to 
about half an inch from the top with good sweet mould, sprinkle 
