364 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 
also affected by the supply of cuttings, as it is often found, 
when the operation is contemplated, that there are few 
shoots suitable for forming cuttings, in which case it is 
better to wait a while than to take the wrong sort of 
shoot. The cuttings should be rooted by the time the days 
are short and cold, so that they may keep healthy through- 
out the winter. Experience will soon show the best time 
in each locality, according to season. I have, in a warm 
district, and for one reason or another, been as late as 
the end of October before putting in cuttings, and ob- 
tained an excellent "strike." — 5". Ashmore in Gardeners' 
Chronicle (English). 
AUTUMN SOWING AND RENOVATION 
HP HE best time of year to sow down new putting greens, 
fair greens, tees, lawns, etc., is between about the 
15th or 20th of August and the 20th of September. The 
soil is warm at the end of the summer season and suffi- 
cient rain and dew may be expected which will effect a 
quick germination and the young grass will become well 
established before the cold weather arrives. Then weeds 
are less in evidence in the autumn than they are in the 
spring, but it is always a good policy in sowing down 
new ground to turn over the soil and do the necessary 
grading in the spring or early summer — cultivating fre- 
quently to destroy any weed growth, so that when the 
seed bed is prepared, the soil is much cleaner and freer 
from weed seeds and the surface is consolidated. When 
work is done in a hurry, it is generally badly done. 
Topdress and renovate all existing turf on a much 
larger scale in the autumn than in the spring, using more 
seed, sand and compost, and improve parts of the fair 
greens that cannot be artificially watered. 
We have had a very wet spring and many courses, es- 
pecially on clay soil, have been in a very sticky, muddy 
condition most of the season. The excessive rain and 
dampness has no doubt caused sourness, and this should 
be corrected this fall with a dressing of ground limestone 
on the fair greens, tees, etc., and pulverized charcoal to- 
gether with previously sweetened composts and sand on 
the putting greens. 
This has been a bad season for clover and water grass, 
or pearl wort, because of so much rain. Existing turf 
has thrived, but spring seeding has in many instances not 
been satisfactory — as heavy rains have caused washouts 
and uncovered the seed, but in other cases results have 
been good and it has been fortunate there has been so 
much rain. 
Highly nitrogenous fertilizers should be used this fall 
tn encourage the grasses and not the clovers. While bone 
meal is a good fertilizer and best applied in the autumn, 
it would not be advisable to use it this season on greens 
possessing much clover. It will quite often produce a 
thick crop of clover in a turf apparently free from clover. 
The last of August or the first of September, according 
to the weather, the putting greens, tees and important 
parts of the fair greens should be vigorously raked and 
cross-raked and on large areas tooth-harrow and cross- 
harrow, so as to open up the surface soil, and in some 
instances it may be advisable to use pitch forks, spiked 
boards or spiked rollers to perforate the surface. 
Take out all weeds, crab grass and other objectionable 
growth, at the same time scratch up any clover patches. 
Then thicken up the existing turf with a special mixture 
of seed suitable to the soil and local conditions and cover 
with a quarter-inch dressing of prepared compost or 
humus, supplemented with a complete artificial fertilizer. 
Work the seed and covering soil into the existing turf 
with birch brooms or the backs of rakes and then roll 
down. On large areas after tooth-harrowing the ground, 
it is much better to mix the seed and compost together 
and apply them at the same time. On heavy soils, include 
a large percentage of sand and organic matter and on 
light sandy or gravelly soils, apply dressings rich in 
humus or organic matter. 
The last of September or some time in October, during 
the wet weather, lime any sour parts on the fair greens, 
tees, etc., and dress the putting greens with sand and 
pulverized charcoal, using from 200 to 300 pounds of 
charcoal per green mixed with three or four times its 
own bulk of sharp sand. Work same into the turf with 
birch brooms or the backs of rakes. 
1 hen before the cold weather arrives, give the greens 
another quarter-inch dressing of prepared compost, but 
do not use any quick acting fertilizers. This will serve 
as a covering for the young grass from the autumn sow- 
ing and the writer has never favored covering the greens 
with any straw or other material for the winter, unless 
it is put on very thinly, so that the turf can be seen 
through. Grass does not suffer from the cold weather as 
it does from the hot weather ; winter-killing taking place 
in the early spring when the surface drainage is not cor- 
rect and water is lying in the low spots alternately freez- 
ing and thawing. — L. Macomber in The Golf Course. 
PLANTS FROM SPORES OF THE BOSTON 
FERN. 
npW* ) reports have come to the writer of the develop- 
ment of spore-grown plants from Nephrolepis bos- 
touiensis. The reports come from widely separated lo- 
calities and growers, but agree more or less as to details. 
Unfortunately the results were obtained years ago, and 
none of the plants so produced are now alive. 
The writer is interested in getting information as to 
any authentic cases of the Boston fern being grown from 
spores, and will especially welcome an opportunity to see 
living plants so produced. N. IVittboldi was supposed 
to be a spore sport from bostoniensis. but the characters 
of all the plants which I have obtained under the name 
of IVittboldii seem to indicate that it is a form of some 
Malayan species. N. philadelphicnsis, a chance sporeling 
at Horticultural Hall, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, 
seems to be the same as N. washingtoniensis, itself, I 
believe, a chance sporeling, and both are undoubtedly to 
be identified with another Malayan species, sometimes 
called N. floceigcra. These are all broad-leaved forms, 
very different from bostoniensis or exaltata. N. Elms- 
fordi. reported as a sporeling from IVliitmani, stands, I 
believe, as the only form in the Boston fern series cred- 
ited with this origin. 
Information is asked, therefore, on the following 
points : 
1. Is there any known instance of the development of 
plants from Boston fern spores? 
2. From the spores of any variety of the Boston fern? 
3. What were the characteristics of the plants so 
grown ? 
If living plants are now being grown, the writer would 
like an opportunity to call and see them if near New 
York, and in any event would be glad to receive small 
plants for which an exchange from a list of a hundred 
named forms is now available. It may be noted that 
microscopic examinations so far made have shown com- 
plete sterility of spores among Boston fern forms, but 
it is not impossible that they may occasionally produce 
fertile spores. 
R. C. Benedict, Resident Investigator, 
Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 
Brooklyn, N. V. 
