1Y 
gimtiotts for % Citltiktioit of Jftras. 
principal points to be attended to, are:— 
1. Sitottot A North aspect, tolerably well shaded from the direct rays of the sun, and not 
subject to the drip of trees. 
2. 3ml Eor most ferns the soil should be a compost of peat, loam, decayed leaf mould, and 
sand. Some require old mortar to be mixed with the compost, and some prefer a clayey soil; 
these will be especially noticed in the descriptions. In all cases, small pieces of brick, sandstone, or 
charcoal, about the size of hazel-nuts, should be mixed with the soil to keep it open. 
3. IJtetet All ferns like moisture; therefore, great care should be taken that they be 
constantly supplied. 
4 grragb This is one of the most essential points; for although ferns require so much 
moisture, yet they are materially injured if it be allowed to stagnate; therefore great care should be 
taken to effect a complete drainage. In pots the bottoms should be filled up at least two inches 
with pieces of broken bricks, pots, or stones, and above these should be spread a layer of Sphagnum, 
(a moss always to be found in boggy places, and which never gets mouldy), to prevent the soil 
washing or settling down among the drainage. 
5. geirtrag. Great care should be taken in removing ferns not to injure the roots, but to 
retain as much as possible of the native soil with the plant. The best time is during the months of 
March and April. 
6. IfffliOTj} ftCttlt Shir. A very interesting method of propagating from the seed or spores is 
recommended by Mr. Moore, in his u Handbook of British Eerns “ Half fill some shallow wide¬ 
mouthed pots with broken crocks, and on this put a layer of about two inches of turfy peat soil and 
mellow loam, mixed with soft sand-stone broken in small lumps of the size of peas; this compost 
should not be much consolidated. Next, shake or brush very gently over a sheet of white paper 
a frond of the species to be propagated; the fine brown dust thus liberated consists of the spores, in 
greater or less quantity, intermixed more or less with the spore cases. This dust is to be regularly 
and thinly scattered over the rough surface of the soil, which is immediately to be covered with a 
bell-glass, large enough to fit down closely within the pot. The pots are at once to be set in feeders 
and these are to be filled up with water; they may either be placed under a hand-glass in a cold 
frame, or in a greenhouse or stove, as may be most proper. The first indications of germination will 
consist in the appearance of little semi-transparent green scales. The supply of water must be kept 
up, and the glasses should be tilted on one side for a short time every day, and ultimately entirely 
removed,—the pots still being retained under a hand-glass. After a week or two they may be taken 
up, carefully separated, and potted singly in small pots. The young plants should be still kept 
under a hand-glass until established, and then gradually inured to the degree of exposure proper for 
the mature plants.” 
The following plan for growing ferns can be strongly recommended, having been found by the 
author to answer well:— 
His fernery consists of a small house twelve feet by five, (facing the North); the roof is of 
glass, painted white, to prevent the entrance of too much light; nearly the whole of the front is 
occupied by a door, which during the summer consists of canvas stretched on a wooden frame; and 
in the winter of board, to keep the frost out; the inside is filled up with a combination of limestone, 
sandstone, and old trunks of trees, in which the ferns are planted; on the top of this rock-work 
there is a pipe perforated with very small holes, and connected with a tank of water : by this means 
a constant drip is obtained, and particular care has been taken to effect a thorough drainage. 
This method would answer equally well where heat is used, and would be far preferable to 
potting the ferns and arranging them on shelves. 
