156 
Choice Ferns for Amateurs. 
growing naturally in swampy places, most of them 
all over Ceylon, Java, and the Pacific Islands. They 
are therefore exceedingly useful for adorning the 
warm Fernery all the year round, and the cool 
Fernery during summer. Whether grown in pots 
or planted out, they should be kept in a mixture of 
two parts fibrous loam, two parts rough peat, one 
part chopped sphagnum, and one part coarse sand : 
in this compost they thrive luxuriantly, provided 
that at all times they receive a liberal supply of 
water at the roots and are allowed plenty of room 
fully to expand their gigantic foliage. When they 
are grown in pots, the same mixture should be used, 
but it is a good plan to keep the pots in water to the 
depth of 2in. or Sin. 
Although spores of Angiopteris are frequently 
and freely produced, there is no record of any seed- 
lings of these noble Ferns having ever been raised in 
England, or indeed in any other country in Europe. 
Propagation is, therefore, usually left to their 
natural disposition of frequently producing at the 
base of their fronds young plants, which, when 
sufficiently developed, may be detached without 
trouble. The most expeditious way of increasing 
Angiopteris, however, is by means of the scaly appen- 
dages with which the base of each frond is sur- 
rounded. Each of these fleshy scales contains at 
least two dormant buds, which, under the influence 
of heat and constant moisture, soon develop into 
subjects in all respects similar to the parent plant. 
The scales should be detached in their entirety, and 
not cut up, then laid in silver sand, covered with 
chopped sphagnum, and kept in a close propagating- 
case. Though this may be done at almost any 
season, February and March are the best months. 
According to the season in which this operation is 
performed, it is known that from three to five months 
usually elapse before the first indications of growth 
may be noticed ; but after they have made a decided 
start, the young bulbils rapidly gain in strength, 
and may soon be considered as so many independent 
subjects. 
