16 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



out while the plants are dormant, or failure will be the result. If done 

 early in winter, just after the plants have gone to rest, they will, during 

 three or four months, present a wretched appearance — in fact, look like 

 freshly-imported stems— as, in all probability, they will lose their foliage, 

 and not produce any for a considerable time. This, however, will not 

 happen if the operation is performed during January or February, and just 

 before they make their annual start, for, in that case, they usually keep 

 their old foliage on until a crown of young fronds is developed, when the 

 old foliage naturally disappears ; but should the plants even be deprived of 

 their old fronds sooner than was anticipated, they would only remain 

 unsightly for a comparatively short time. 



Methods of preparing the stems for reduction are numerous ■ getting 

 them to root in a bed of moss for a season previous to amputation has 

 been advocated, but for this there is really no necessity. It is evident that if 

 imported stems, cut off in their native habitats without any preparation, and 

 subjected to a long journey, can be induced to make good plants in one 

 season, stems under altogether more favourable circumstances, cut off when 

 still at rest but approaching their growing season, must produce results at 

 least quite as satisfactory. The first Tree Fern stems which we saw treated 

 in this way consisted of Dicksonia antarctica, D. squarrosa, Cyathea medullaris, 

 and Alsophila australis. These were in the once famous Fernery belonging to 

 Mr. T. Bewley, of Dublin ; they were cut off from 2ft. to 3ft. above the 

 ground and re-planted close to the stumps, which were left undisturbed. 

 None of these stumps ever made any growth, although, under ordinary treat- 

 ment, it is not rare to notice Dicksonia squarrosa producing side growths ; 

 but the shortened stems succeeded admirably. Since then we have many 

 times had the opportunity of testing the effects of similar operations, and we 

 have noticed that subjects treated in that way succeed better when planted 

 out than when grown in pots or tubs. Although most Tree Ferns stand 

 such reduction very well, Dicksonia antarctica suffers least — a fact easily 

 accounted for when one considers the enormous quantity of aerial roots of 

 which the trunk is formed, and which, when in proximity to moisture, have 

 the power of absorbing an amount of atmospheric food sufficient to stimulate 

 the development of a good head of fronds. 



The cut-off portion of the stem, which, for safety, should be at least equal 



