150 



THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



lumps of peat, or by layering them into small pots. The latter is the safest and best 

 method of increasing gleichenias, and the layers ought not to be detached from the parent 

 plant before they are strongly rooted. Treat the smaller divisions and layered plants 

 similarly to established sporelings. 



Proliferous or Viviperous Ferns. — Many species of ferns are remarkable in pro- 

 ducing a number of plantlets on the growing fronds. These are particularly observable 

 in some of the aspleniums, polystichums, adiantum lunulatum, and its variety, dolabri- 

 forme ; platyceriums, Woodwardia radicans, and many others. "When the tiny ferns, 



lay portions of fronds containing them on peaty soil in pans under hand lights, keeping 

 them close and moist till the baby ferns take possession of the soil. 



Soil. — Some few species may require special treatment or different soil to the rest, but 

 the great majority succeed well in a mixture of two parts sound loam, one part each of 

 peat and leaf soil, with sharp sand, lumps of sandstone and charcoal to keep it porous and 

 sweet, packing this moderately firm about the roots. Those ferns with slender rhizomes 

 generally thrive best in pans of soil, with the rhizomes pegged down on lumps of peat, 

 acrostichum, davallias, and gleichenias coming under this head. 



Potting. — Perns of an evergreen nature may be shifted into larger pots or pans at 

 almost any time of the year, but as a rule this important work is best performed early in 

 the spring, before fresh fronds have formed. At this period in their career many of the 



beautifully produced on the parent 

 fronds, are large enough, they may 

 be carefully taken off and dibbed 

 an inch or so asunder in pans of 

 peaty soil ; or the larger, such as 

 the one separated in Pig. 97, may 

 be at once placed singly in thumb 

 pots, taking the same care of them 

 as advised in the case of ferns 

 raised from spores. For facili- 

 tating the rooting of the small 

 plantlets, it is not uncommon to 



SOIL, POTTING AND INSECTS. 



