19 
CHAPTER IV. 
CULTIVATION IN FEKNEKIES. 
There are various ways of cultivating ferns, and various 
classes of ferns suitable for cultivation; we shall there- 
fore divide the methods and the classes into four parts 
— 1st, Cultivation in the open fernery; 2nd, Cultivation 
in the Wardian case ; 3rd, Cultivation in the cool green- 
house ; 4th, Cultivation under stove heat. 
The fernery should be placed in a retired situation, 
sheltered alike from sun and wind ; it should be formed 
by throwing up a mound of earth, and facing it with 
blocks of stone and tree-stumps ; or it might be made 
in imitation of a miniature valley, two rocky banks with 
a walk between. In either case one bank should face 
the south and the other the north. Having secured a 
good elevation, and built in plenty of rocky inequalities 
we must secure a good supply of suitable compost in the 
spaces between the blocks. The compost must be 
formed of vegetable mould, peat earth, silver and other 
sand, and bog-moss in the following proportions as pre- 
scribed in the c Cottage Gardener’s Magazine 1 “Vege- 
table or leaf-mould, one or two years old, one-third ; 
fibrous peat, one-third ; bog- moss, finely chopped, one- 
third, with as much silver sand as will give it a whitish 
c 2 
