136 The Fern Garden. 



thus leaving the other space, which has the advantage 

 of the full light, available for growing other subjects. 



The best mode of growing fine specimens is in pans, 

 for they are shallow rooting plants, and do not require 

 a great depth of soil. By adopting pans we are enabled 

 to give them a much larger space to spread over than 

 would be practicable in pots. Fans of eighteen inches 

 in diameter are a very convenient size for strong- 

 growing kinds, whilst for the moss-like sorts of dwarf 

 growth a smaller size is far better. The pans should 

 have about an inch of drainage crocks broken rather 

 fine, a layer of rough peat, and then must be filled up 

 with a compost consisting of peat, loam, leaf-mould, 

 and silver sand, equal parts. This should be pressed 

 firm, a layer of sand put over it, and the cuttings laid 

 on and pegged down. The cuttings should be good- 

 sized pieces. I take them off at the base, close to the 

 soil, which is better than the tops, and if they are pro- 

 perly attended to, they will soon take root and cover 

 the pans. It is best to keep them renewed in this way 

 than keep a lot of old plants ; for when they are old 

 they are bad, and get broken about, and bear no com- 

 parison to young healthy plants. The metallic lined 

 Imvigata can be kept in good trim by cutting it down 

 to the pan when it becomes a bad colour, and if it has 

 a little fine soil and sand, or sand alone sprinkled over 

 it, and set in a warm corner, it will soon recover. Un- 

 less kept in deep shade this charming plant soon loses 

 its exquisite colour. 



Kinds which have inaquifolia and viticulosa for their 

 type require a slightly different method of treatment in 



