136 
The Fern Garden . 
thus leaving the other space, which has the advantage 
of the full light, available for growing other subjects. 
The best mode of growing fine specimens is in pans, 
for they are shallow rooting plants, and do not require 
a great depth of soil. By adopting pans we are enabled 
to give them a much larger space to spread over than 
would be practicable in pots. Pans of eighteen inches 
in diameter are a very convenient size for strong- 
growing kinds, whilst for the moss-like sorts of dwarf 
growth a smaller size is far better. The pans should 
have about an inch of drainage crocks broken rather 
fine, a layer of rough peat, and then must be filled up 
with a compost consisting of peat, loam, leaf-mould, 
and silver sand, equal parts. This should be pressed 
firm, a layer of sand put over it, and the cuttings laid 
on and pegged down. The cuttings should be good- 
sized pieces. I take them off at the base, close to the 
soil, which is better than the tops, and if they are pro- 
perly attended to, they will soon take root and cover 
the pans. It is best to keep them renewed in this way 
than keep a lot of old plants ; for when they are old 
they are bad, and get broken about, and bear no com- 
parison to young healthy plants. The metallic lined 
laevigata can be kept in good trim by cutting it down 
to the pan when it becomes a bad colour, and if it has 
a little fine soil and sand, or sand alone sprinkled over 
it, and set in a warm corner, it will soon recover. Un- 
less kept in deep shade this charming plant soon loses 
its exquisite colour. 
Kinds which have incequifolia and viticulosa for their 
type require a slightly different method of treatment in 
