spores. 
31 
of the soil, and afterwards covered with a flat piece 
of glass. It is also necessary, while sowing, to 
hold the paper containing them very close to the 
surface of the pots, as, being so exceedingly light, 
they are liable to fly in all directions but the 
right one. 
The watering of the pots or pans in which Fern 
spores are sown requires to be done with great care. 
Until the seedlings have formed a little crown, 
watering should always be done by allowing the 
lower part of the pots to stand in water till suffi- 
cient moisture has been absorbed — but the pots 
should not in any case remain altogether in water. 
To that effect, they should be stood in saucers, and 
disposed in places varying in temperature according 
to the nature of the species sown. 
Spores of British and other hardy kinds, 
although germinating more rapidly, and taking less 
time in producing young characterised plants, when 
sown in heat, it is not at all necessary to have any 
artificially-heated place in which to sow and grow 
them. In their case, the pots or pans may be stood 
on a piece of slate in some damp, shady, but not 
dark corner, out of the way — under the stage of a 
greenhouse is a good situation for them. There 
they should remain, until the surface of the pots or 
pans become covered with a Lichen or Liverwort- 
like growth. From this they ultimately develop, 
according to the species, in from three to six months 
from the time of sowing. A certain state of ap- 
parent dormancy, lasting sometimes several weeks, 
may be observed between the production of the scaly 
growth, and the sudden appearance, here and there, 
and eventually in a crowd, of the fronds proper. 
It is principally during that time that, to encouraofe 
fertilisation, a uniform rate of moisture is of the 
greatest importance. 
When Fern spores germinate freelv. forming a 
dense mass of prothalli, it is indispensable that they 
should be several times pricked off," so that they 
may have room to develop ; for, if allowed to crowd 
and overgrow each other in the seed-pan, they are 
