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certain thickening of the central rib or stem of the frond. 

 This thickening is always towards the lower end of the 

 frond, and is often confined to the part beneath the lowest 

 pinnae. At first it is little more than an unevenness of the 

 stem, then it develops into a kind of wart-like growth, 

 which gradually swells until rather like a very small tumour, 

 paler in colour on the upper side. There are two radically 

 different ways of treating these growths, or bulbils, for such 

 they are, — 



(1) The whole frond may be removed and pegged care- 

 fully down in a seed pan. When this method is followed 

 success will largely depend upon fixing the frond firmly, 

 and keeping the whole of it, except the part where the 

 bulbils appear, carefully covered with very finely powdered 

 compost. When the frond has been fixed in position in a 

 carefully drained pan, glass should be placed on top, and 

 careful watering should be given. The pan should then be 

 put in a shady place, where it will be free from any possibility 

 of disturbance. Whenever water is wanted it should be 

 given, and fresh compost should be powdered over if for 

 any cause it should become necessary. 



By this means it is possible to raise young fernlets from 

 the bulbils, which throw roots downwards into the com- 

 post, and gradually form little ferns. It is the only process 

 available if a fertile frond breaks off from the parent plant, 

 or if a frond with bulbils comes from a friend. I have, 

 however, found the method tedious and uncertain, and I 

 should never dream of attempting it when the second means 

 which I am now about to describe was available. 



(2) The surer and, in my opinion, simpler means of pro- 

 pagating from bulbils consists in pegging down the fertile 

 (i.e., bulbiferous) fronds. When I notice that bulbils have 

 been formed or are in process of formation I lay underneath 



