NOVEMBER. 
347 
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2nd best—Lady Paxton, Charles Perry, Duchess of Kent, Souter 
Johnny, Carnation, and Cleopatra—Mr. Dodds ; 3rd best—Topsy, 
Butterfly, Miss Frampton, Inimitable, Eugenie, and Wonderful— 
Mr. Humber. Best Specimen White, Miss Watts—Mr. Turner. Best 
Specimen Yellow, Sir J. Paxton—Mr. Dodds. Best Tipped Fancy, 
Lady Paxton—Mr. Turner. Best Striped Fancy, Charles Perry— 
Mr. Dodds. The following Dahlias were shown in fine condition, many 
of which had been successful at previous meetings :—Clara Novello 
(Alexander), fancy, size medium, full, nicely cupped, colour purplish 
maroon slightly tipped with white ; Standard Bearer (Alexander), dark 
purplish maroon ; Miss Pressly, very pretty, white neatly tipped with 
purple; Marion (Fellowes), white tipped with pale purple; Commander 
(Fellowes), crimson maroon ; General Havelock (Fellowes), light 
scarlet; Oliver Twist (Fellowes), pale stained ground boldly striped 
with purplish crimson ; Miss Watts, white ; Sir James Watts, scarlet; 
Lady Mildmay, lilac, of lar^e size; Countess of Bective, fancy, rosy 
lilac, the tips and centre of the florets white; Mrs. Church (Church), 
yellow slightly tipped; Village Bride (Green), light striped fancy; 
Beauty of High Cross (Green), dark striped fancy; Peerless, large, 
clear yellow; Lillie Lund, a canary self; Chilo, small, orange scarlet. 
Mr. Smith sent Fuchsias; Mr. Hall, Gourds; Mr. Wheeler, of War¬ 
minster, a Begonia. 
PROPAGATION OF FERNS. 
Ferns are propagated either by sowing the spores as seeds, or by 
dividing the plants. When the latter mode is adopted, it is generally 
best to remove the plant from the soil, and shake away all, or as much 
as possible, of the soil from the roots, in order that the parts may be 
clearly seen. Those Ferns which have creeping rhizomes, are generally 
increased, without difficulty, by dividing it so that each portion intended 
for a plant has one or more fronds, and a portion of the roots retained 
with it, in an uninjured condition. Such divided portions should be 
potted in the light soil recommended for the more delicate sorts, and 
should be kept close in a cool moist frame until established. They must 
be potted with the rhizome buried, or fixed on the surface, according to 
the habit of the kind under treatment. Those having a tufted or erect 
caudex require a different process. If there is more than one heart or 
crown, (as the tuft of fronds which surround each distinct axis is termed), 
the point of a knife is to be inserted carefully so as to separate them in 
such a manner that each crown may retain a portion of the roots. 
These divided portions are then potted in the soil proper to the species, 
and kept in a frame until established, as in the other case. Sometimes 
those which have the erect caudex form but a single crown, and to 
attempt to divide this would be to spoil or, perhaps, destroy the plant. 
In such cases the only course, if propagation must be attempted, is to 
destroy, by some gentle process, the axis, or extreme point of growth, to 
wait patiently until the lateral crowns which may thus be forced to 
develop themselves, have gained some strength, and then to divide as 
