68 
Choice Ferns for Amateurs. 
sheets of white paper smeared with some sticky sub- 
stance. At night go into the house, and suddenly 
turn on the light in the direction of the infested 
plants, at the same time giving them a shake. 
Immediately the Beetles will drop, and many of them 
will be caught by the adhesive, when they may be 
destroyed. For Slugs and Snails traps of bran and 
brewer's grains, laid in heaps, are best. They should 
be frequently examined at night, and the creatures 
picked off and destroyed. Then there is also Slugicide, 
a very effectual preparation. Mealy Bug and Scale are 
both difficult to deal with, as although there are 
several excellent insecticides that may be effectively 
employed in the case of hard-wooded plants, they 
must not be used upon Ferns. Hand-rubbing and 
sponging with warm water, in which just a little 
soft-soap has been dissolved, must be largely relied 
upon for ridding the plants of their enemies, but too 
much sponging may be harmful. As a preventive 
measure it will be found a good plan to remove any 
of the fronds that are showing signs of maturity 
and burning them. Ants are also undesirable, and 
may be got rid of by means of Vall's Beetlecute or 
Cross's " Ballikinrain " Ant Destroyer. 
Fortunately for the Fern-cultivator his plants 
are not liable to be attacked by many species of 
fungi. Still, there are one or two that must be 
noted, more especially as Fern Rust is a very 
common disease. Cystopteris fragilis is the greatest 
sufferer from Rust; and many species succumb 
owing to the gardener not dia^^nosing the cause. 
Ferns attacked have a verv sickly look, and if the 
under-surfaces of Ihe fronds be examined there will 
be found numerous yellow often rounded pustules. 
Any plants that are diseased shonld be removed, and 
a spraying with a claret-red solution of Condy's 
Fluid be given the remainder. All diseased fronds 
should be burnt. Ferns in the prothallus stage often 
damp off" mysteriously, and by many this is 
thought to be due to the fungus responsible for the 
destruction of many flowering plants in the seedling 
stage — Pythium de Baryanum, or a very near ally. 
