14 
The Ferns of South Africa. 
When selecting ferns for planting — whether in the forest, on 
the rock, or in the nursery, do not select the fine big plants with 
abundant foliage, as the season’s growth is past before they have 
obtained this, and the chances are that you will not manage to 
take this tender foliage home intact, and keep it up. Select, in 
early spring, rather small plants, with only enough foliage to shew 
what they are, and then, when planted, cut off even that little, and 
the result will be that in a few weeks the young growth will start 
fresh and beautiful, and hardy enough to stand the summer under 
the changed circumstances. 
Another advice often required by fern-hunters in the forest is 
to gather no more than they can carefully handle, and either cut 
off all the foliage in the forest before they wither off by evapora- 
tion, or else puddle the roots into a tin basin, and shade the tops 
with a few upright sticks surrounded by a large piece of hard 
paper. A few, carefully moved in this way, give more satisfaction 
than a wagon-load that have been unprotected for two or three 
days. 
