A Dictionary of Choice Ferns. 
215 
In fact, most, if not all, of the failures experienced 
in the early attempts at cultivating these charming 
plants may be traced to growing them in too much 
heat — treatment which caused them to make stunted 
growths, generally full of thrips and scale. Be- 
sides the house being at most what is usually called 
intermediate, it should also be light and well 
ventilated. Bright light is indispensable; they will 
even withstand a little sunshine during the morning 
and the afternoon, and be benefited by it. Light, in 
fact, is of such importance that if a plant in perfect 
health be placed under, say, Tree Ferns, or 
under any other plant that will permanently shade 
it, it will soon start on a retrograde march, and 
show by its spindly growth that it does not at all 
appreciate the presence of neighbours taller than 
itself. It is also worthy of note that success cannot 
reasonably be expected unless these plants are in a 
perfect state of cleanliness. 
The section that includes such plants as the 
elegant G. circinata and its varieties are very shallow 
rooters, and when not planted out should be 
grown in rough, sandy peat, in pans. Their 
rhizomes must be carefully kept on the surface by 
being pegged on the potting material, which must be 
made firm, if not altogether hard. Abundance of 
pot-room is therefore indispensable. The pans 
should be well drained, as, although Gleichenias 
require liberal waterings, nothing is more injurious 
to them than stagnant moisture at the roots. 
In the Mertensia section that includes G, dicho- 
toma and G, fiahellata, &c., a compost of two 
parts fibrous peat, one part fibrous loam, and one 
of sand is preferable to the sandy peat recommended 
for the others. They also require a quantity of 
water at the roots, though stagnant moisture must 
carefully be avoided. Plants of both sections are 
always the better for being kept dry overhead. 
Gleichenias in general propagate slowly. With the 
exception of seedlings of G. circinata speluncce and 
G, c. semi-vestita of commerce, and of G, rupestris, 
the mode of increase has always been limited to the 
