SOIL AND CULTURE. 



411 



part of one of the stoves in the University's garden, at Liege. We have 

 also obtained many by brushing the seeds upon a stem of Ci/cas Circinalis, 

 which had no other attention paid them than the regular routine of the 

 stove. We state these latter modes merely to show how easily these 

 seeds vegetate, and not with a view to recommend the practice, as it is 

 attended with chances of disappointment. The practice of ^Mr. Shepherd 

 is at once simple and successful, and should be followed by those who 

 wish to cultivate this interesting tribe of plants. 



PROPAGATION BY DIVISION OF THE ROOT. 



Many species are readily increased by division of the root, and also 

 by runners, but all are rather impatient of the knife, particularly if the 

 trunk or stem has to be wounded. The operation and after-treatment are 

 so similar to that recommended for other herbaceous plants that any 

 fm'ther notice would be superfluous. 



SOIL AND CULTURE. 



The soil which appears to suit the majority of ferns is of a light, rich 

 nature : that formed of vegetable mould and sandy peat may in general 

 be recommended. Certainly such as are of weak growth, and those that 

 are half parasite, or growing upon old trees or decayed wood, can have 

 no better soil. There are others, however, of more robust growth, which 

 will require a much stronger soil. 



Many of our British ferns will prosper vigorously when submitted to 

 the temperature and treatment of the stove, although they wiU equally 

 flourish when planted behind a wall in a moist and shaded situation. We 

 mention this fact merely to show that, although most of our native ferns 

 will thus far accommodate themselves to the circumstances they may be 

 placed in, yet the art of man can hardly keep ahve others which are also 

 natives of our mountains, even in a cool shaded part of the garden ; for 

 example, Pteris crista, Grammitis Ceterach^ AspidiumLoncMtis, Asplenium 

 viride, marinum, lanceolatiim, alter7iifoUicm, and sepfentrionale, ^iU 

 languish, and in time die, if taken from then' native habitats. 



Need we then be surprised if in a collection, say of five hundred species, 

 collected from aU parts of the tropics, that some should refuse to submit 

 to the fostering care of man- There are peculiar constitutional habits, 

 perhaps we may call them diseases, in some plants, that renders all our 

 care in their culture rather an aggravation of their disease than the rc- 



