66 
The Fern Garden . 
roots of any kind that have been disturbed and need 
time to regain their wonted action is like poison. 
So much for the division of ferns that form clustering 
crowns. Let us now take a tuft of common polypody. 
Here we find a quantity of fleshy rhizomes of the 
thickness of a lead pencil entangled amongst masses 
of fibrous roots. You may cut or pull to pieces this 
tuft almost ad lib., provided each separate position has 
its own roots reserved to it. The pieces must be potted 
rather differently to the others, as their roots run upon 
the surface chiefly, and they thrive best in a moist 
spongy material. The surest way to make plants of 
them will be to prepare the pots by putting in at least 
one third depth of crocks, then nearly fill them with 
sandy peat, and on that spread a little cocoa-nut fibre 
to make a soft bed; then lay one of the pieces on the 
bed, put some more cocoa-nut fibre over it almost to 
bury it, and press it down firmly. Water and place in 
frame and treat as in the first practice. They will 
soon begin to grow, and will want no particular care 
after a few weeks. 
Now, by these two methods may the greater part 
of all known ferns be multiplied ; there are exceptions, 
as in the case of tree ferns, for example, but the excep¬ 
tions are few. Those that grow in clustering crowns 
may be divided as in the first practice, those that 
extend by creeping rhizomes may be cut to pieces as 
in the second practice. 
As you extend your operations, you will not be long 
in discovering how easy it is to kill ferns by one or the 
other of these processes. For general guidance I will 
