HINTS ON THE CULTIVATION OF FERNS. 
105 
soil near the surface damp, while that below becomes quite dry, and the roots being principally at the 
bottom, the fronds shrivel and die one after the other, causing much anxiety and disappointment. 
When a plant is getting dry, a good supply of water should be given, filling the pot with sufficient to 
thoroughly wet all the soil, and no more should be given until it really requires it. If a plant has 
become very dry, as is sometimes the case, through being overlooked, the soil will have contracted, 
leaving a crevice between it and the pot, so that when water is poured into the pot it runs out again 
almost as quickly ; in this case it does the plant very little good, as, instead of penetrating the ball, 
it goes between the pot and the soil, only wetting the soil nearest the pot. To saturate the whole of 
the ball, it should be placed in a vessel containing tepid water as deep as the pot, and allowed to 
remain fifteen or twenty minutes, until the water has penetrated thoroughly. The water given to the 
Ferns should be the same temperature as the atmosphere of the house in which they are growing, 
the chill being taken off by adding warm water, unless it has been standing in the house a sufficient 
length of time for it to have become as warm as the atmosphere. In summer, of course, they will 
require watering oftener than in winter, but they must always have it when getting dry, at whatever 
time of the year it may be. Thus, plants should be examined every day, in the morning in winter, 
in the afternoon or evening in summer. They must be watered freely when they are getting dry, and 
not again until they really require it. 
POTTING. 
Ferns require re-potting oftener when in small pots than in large ones. The best time of the year 
to commence is about February, when they will be starting into growth, and the sooner they are done 
after that the better it will be for the plants. 
The pots must he clean. If they have been used before, they must be washed and scrubbed clean 
inside and out, this being necessary for the health and appearance of the plants. The pots when 
used must also be dry ; if either dirty or wet pots are used, the evil consequences will be evident 
when next the plant is to be re-potted, for it will be impossible to remove it from the pot without 
leaving behind a quantity of soil adhering to the sides, which will almost certainly break off’ a number 
of the roots, and thus injure the plant. New pots, before being used, should always be dipped in 
water until they cease to absorb it without remaining wet on the surface- A pot new from the kiln 
will absorb a large quantity of water, and if this is not supplied before being used, it will rob the soil 
of its moisture to such an extent that often it will be difficult to get water to penetrate the ball of 
soil, and the plant will languish from drought, while perhaps the surface of the soil appears wet enough. 
COMPOST. 
The Compost for the general collection should consist of good fibrous loam, leaf mould, good peat, 
and sharp coarse sand, in equal proportions, well mixed together, but kept as coarse as possible, each 
ingredient except the sand being better in pieces from the size of a pea to that of a walnut, than in 
finer particles. 
For ADIANTUMS the peat should be left out of the compost, and a little more leaf mould and 
loam may be added instead. 
The great object should be to have the compost open, that the water may pass readily through 
it, and of course be followed by a change of air in the soil, which is exceedingly beneficial to the roots 
of the plants. Soil holding water in a stagnant condition will cause the death of almost any Fern 
remaining in it for a length of time. For FILMY FERNS the compost ought to be of a very open 
character, and may be composed of equal parts fibrous loam, peat, broken stone, leaf mould and 
charcoal. The material should be broken in pieces from the size of a hazel nut to that of a walnut 
or larger, all the finer particles being sifted out and used for other purposes. The object of this 
open compost is to secure the previously mentioned requisite of a free passage of water through the 
whole body of soil, and the free admission of air to the roots of the plants. Where such compost 
is used, it will be found that the best roots are those which lie in the crevices between the pieces of 
compost. It must also be remembered that with such a compost, frequent and abundant waterings 
must be given, and the advantage of this treatment will soon be seen in the vigour and beauty 
of the plants. 
The small Filmy Ferns require little more than finely broken stone, with a little leaf mould 
and loam, and should be planted in shallow pans ; while some of the very delicate species 
grow well on the stems, or pieces of stems, of Tree-ferns, kept constantly moist by water carefully 
given. The soil and the pots being ready, the latter should be crocked, that is drained by putting 
one piece of a broken pot at the bottom, hollow side down, large enough to cover the hole, 
and a number pf others over and around it, to the depth of an inch or so, according to the size 
of the pot, and on the top either a layer of moss or leaves ; the object of the former being 
to allow the surplus water given to the plant to drain away, and the moss to prevent the soil 
washing among the crocks and stopping up the drainage, which would soon cause the soil to 
go bad. The plant to be re-potted may be turned out of the pot in which it has been growing 
in most cases by placing the left hand over the ball of the plant, turning it upside down, and giving 
the edge of the pot a sharp knock on the bench, when it may be taken off ; then remove as much 
of the soil and drainage as can be done easily without injuring or breaking off the roots, put a little 
soil in the fresh pot on the top of the moss, and then place the plant upon it, press down and fill all 
round the ball with fresh soil, making it firm but not hard, with the potting stick ; the top of the 
ball when in the new pot should be low enough to allow of a good supply of water being given when 
