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believe in watering at this stage, but I make it a practice 

 to sprinkle them lightly after transplanting and find no 

 bad results from it. I always, however, use water at a 

 temperature of about 65 degrees. Covering with glass 

 will be necessary for some time after transplanting, but 

 this should be gradually removed as the little fronds 

 gather strength. Shading must be attended to through 

 all this stage of their growth, as a few minutes sunshine 

 would work irreparable damage. They must also never 

 be allowed to suffer from dryness. 



When plants begin to get crowded they should be 

 potted up into thumb pots, using a compost of loam, leaf 

 mold and sand in about equal proportions. The plants 

 need not be singled out individually, but if potted four 

 or five together will make serviceable plants much 

 quicker. For subsequent pottings, which should be given 

 just as soon as the pots they are in are well filled with 

 roots a rather heavier moderately enriched soil should 

 be employed. Raising from spores is by far the most 

 convenient way of keeping up the supply of small ferns, 

 the demand for which seems to be on the increase. The 

 demand for certain classes of plants or flowers is apt to 

 be controlled to a great extent by fad or fashion, but the 

 fern pan, it seems to me, is not going to be lightly thrown 

 aside. 



If I were to enumerate all the varieties suitable for the 

 purpose I have no doubt they would fill a good-sized 

 book. But I am sorry to say that the varieties generally 

 met with are not very numerous. I am sure it would 

 pay the growers who would have enterprise enough to 

 keep on procuring and trying varieties different from 

 what are commonly used. They need not be new varie- 

 ties, for there are hundreds of old ones to pick from, 

 which are worth a trial. 



About six months from the time of sowing it is usually 

 required to give useful sized plants a night temperature 

 of about 60 degrees and a day temperature of 75. In 

 stronger heat they could be grown in shorter time, but 



