GOLD AND SILVER FERNS. 



55 



attain large size, and grow freely enough if a place suitable to their require- 

 ments can be found in the cool-house ; above all, they dread close atmosphere, 

 and all require, besides free ventilation, a great abundance of water at the 

 roots at all times of the year, but more especially from April till October, 

 when their growth is very rapid. Their comparative scarcity is due less to 

 the difficulties attending their cultivation than to the slowness of their 

 propagation, which, with the rare exceptions of small batches of seedlings, 

 is generally effected by the division of rhizomes, a somewhat tedious, and 

 not always very satisfactory, operation. 



The remaining sub-section of Silver Ferns is that in which the plants 

 derive their character from the superposition of either scales or short hairs 

 on their under surface. Although a few Cheilanthes, such as C, lanuginosa, 

 C. iommtosa, C. viscosa, &c, partake of such a character, the genus 

 Notliochlcena is the one which most extensively contributes to this sub- 

 section. The most prominent are the American N. ferruginea, N. Ncwbcrryi, 

 N. sinuata, and N. sulphur ea, and the Nothochlaanas of Southern Europe, 

 N. lanuginosa and N. Marantoe. All these are really charming and highly 

 interesting species of comparatively dwarf stature, few of them reaching 

 over 1ft. in height, and that seldom, while several of them do not exceed 

 Gin. These cannot in any w r ay be considered as intruders when found in 

 company with other Silver Ferns ; the more so that, independent of similarity 

 of characters, they delight in the same situation, and succeed under similar 

 treatment. They are easily managed, and prove a source of constant interest 

 when grown in a place where they can be subjected to an abundance of 

 light ; but care should always be taken that they are not over-potted. 



One of the principal advantages to be derived from the cultivation of 

 Gold and Silver Ferns is that, with the exception of the arborescent kinds 

 partaking of the characters, and of a few of the most gigantic forms of 

 Gymnogrammes, an amateur with only a small amount of space at his 

 disposal can enjoy the natural beauties peculiar to many interesting and 

 valuable specimens. For the benefit of persons willing to give the Gold and 

 Silver Ferns a fair trial, we append a list of the most distinct and decorative 

 kinds, in which those requiring stove treatment are marked with an asterisk (*), 

 while those marked with a dagger ("j") will thrive in a greenhouse all the 

 year round. For stove and greenhouse temperatures, see page 27. 



