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cultivation that we may ignore them. At the time of 

 writing (February) all the deciduous species are only 

 represented by either underground stolons, and therefore 

 quite invisible, or by projecting stumps or crowns in 

 which are contained the incipient fronds of the coming 

 season, while the evergreens bear the fronds of the 

 previous season in a more or less shabby and damaged 

 condition if they have been grown outside, and had there- 

 fore to stand the brunts of wintry storms and frosts, while 

 under cover they may still be quite presentable and remain 

 so until replaced by new ones. In either case root action 

 will already have been commenced, as may be ascertained 

 by turning out pot plants, and in the case of crown-forming 

 species, it will be seen that new roots are springing from 

 the bases of the future fronds, each one of which produces 

 its own independent bunch. The new fronds, however, 

 in either case, evergreen or deciduous, are still dormant, 

 and hence no better .time can be chosen than the present 

 for separating crown from crown for propagating purposes, 

 since not only is there no risk of damage to the future 

 crop of fronds, but after the long rest the vigour of the 

 plant is at its maximum to aid in re-establishment when the 

 divisions are planted as separate individuals or the original 

 plants replaced in the soil. The crown-forming ferns 

 develop their fronds in more or less definite circlets, shuttle- 

 cock fashion, and are easily recognized as consisting of 

 several individuals where these, in the form of lateral 

 growths, have been allowed to develop. Each one can 

 be separated from the mass by means of a blunt trowel 

 inserted between them, and when thus forced apart each 

 will come away with its own independent set of roots, all 

 ready to establish it as an independent individual when 

 potted or planted in the open. A great point is to avoid 

 damaging the incipient roots aforesaid, and also to take 

 care that the young crown is planted at once, and not 



