FERTILISATION AND PROPAGATION. 



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Propagating Ferns from spores is an exceedingly delicate operation, and 

 one which, in its results, is sometimes discouraging, especially to the beginner 

 who does not know, or does not fully realise, the advisability of keeping the 

 spores very select, and apart from each other. It frequently happens that, 

 instead of seedling Ferns appearing "as per note-book," other species 

 take their places altogether. We have even known such instances to occur 

 with spores collected from fronds kept separated from all others, when, 

 notwithstanding this precaution, young plants which eventually were found 

 to belong to other genera were present in such quantities as to greatly 

 endanger the existence of those that were expected, which, however, appeared 

 later on. The cause of such mishap is not far to seek : the spores being 

 of so light a nature that they are carried away by the least breeze of 

 wind, some, belonging to species particularly prolific, are naturally always 

 in suspense in the air and in the water in the tanks, and many of them settle 

 upon the fronds of all other kinds indiscriminately. These being, as a rule, 

 spores of the commonest and most vigorous kinds, they germinate and develop 

 much more rapidly than the others, which, in all probability, they would 

 overgrow. The only way to avoid the consequences of this mishap is to 

 gradually weed out, when quite young, those kinds which threaten to choke the 

 sorts especially desired, and which, if the spores were good when sown, are 

 invariably found under the spurious growth. 



Besides the most natural way of propagating Ferns — from spores — it is 

 sometimes found advisable, and in some cases is even necessary, to resort to 

 one or other of the following methods of reproduction : (1) Division of the 

 crowns; (2) "sectioning" of the rhizomes; (3) the rooting of proliferous 

 or viviparous growths ; and (4) the stimulation into growth of tubers found 

 at the roots, or of latent buds situated at the base of the fronds, either on the 

 stalk itself, or on the scales with which certain kinds are provided. 



All Ferns which naturally form several crowns (and under careful culture 

 and genial conditions there are many, especially among the British kinds, 

 which partake of that character) may be propagated by division of these 

 adventitious crowns, which are produced, sometimes from buds situated at the 

 base of the stalks, and at other times by a process of fission in the crowns 

 themselves. This mode of propagation is particularly applicable, amongst our 

 native kinds, to the numerous and beautiful deciduous forms of the Lady 



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