October 29, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
807 
Pteris tremula. 
The ease with which this species ma.y be grown, its hardi¬ 
ness 1 , lasting qualities, and fine appearance, render it one of the 
most useful Ferns in cultivation. It is one of the best for in¬ 
door decoration, and if slightly 'hardened before being vised 
-will last several weeks in good condition. Pterisi tremula is 
one of the freest seeding Ferns in existence, the back of the 
fronds on large plants being nearly covered with spores. The 
ripe fronds should be cut and shaken over a piece of white 
paper to collect the spores, which should be kept dry and 
cool until they are required, and the sooner they are sown 
the better. If a damp wall or stage in a. fernery or stove is 
at command they may be sown on this, as they will germinate 
almost anywhere, or pans of crocks and a little rough peat 
and loam may be prepared and placed in a. shady, warm, house. 
They must be kept constantly moist without sprinkling them 
heavily with water, as this is apt to wash many of the spores 
away. 
A green film on the surface is the first indication that ger¬ 
mination has taken place. Soon after the tiny young appear, 
when they may be pricked off in veiy small patches into 1 pans 
or small pots. P. treimula shows its distinctive characteristics 
very early, and as soon as the young crowns can be distinctly 
seen they may again be divided, tills tune pricking them off 
singly around the edge of small pots in a light, and open com¬ 
post. Though strictly a greenhouse species, it may be given 
more warmth now if it is desired to> hurry on the plants, but 
keep in mind the more air and less heat, they get tli© longer 
the fronds will last, either in a cut state or on the plant. In 
any case growth is. rapid, and they must not be pinched for 
root room until they have reached the size intended for use. 
Small plants in. 3-in. pots are very useful for standing singly 
on the table or for grouping with flowering plants. It is one 
of the advantages of this kind that a nicely furnished plant 
with a head a foot, or more across may be grown .in. the size 
of pot mentioned. There is hardly any arrangement of plants 
that 'tins Fern may not be used with, the light, graceful stems 
standing well up, lightening the effect of other plants, which 
lose nothing by contrast with them. Where large flat epergnes 
in which flowers and fruit combined are used, the cut fronds 
of this Fern set off the fruit admirably. There are also many 
cut flower arrangements that are improved by its use in place 
of the popular Maidenhair, which it surpasses ini lasting quali¬ 
ties 1 . It is also a capital kind for a planted-out. fernery while 
there is plenty of room for its full development, but it. is a 
mistake to plant it. among dwarf kinds, as it soon overgrows 
its station and smothers perhaps choicer and more rare kinds. 
As to compost, it is by no means fastidious, especially when 
it gets beyond the first, stage. A light fibrous loam mixed 
with half its bulk of leaf mould and a good addition of sharp 
silver sand suits it admirably. It is safe in winter in a 
moist, house kept at a minimum temperature of 40 deg. _ • 
Old Memories. 
On reading over “ Some Funny Notions,” in the issue of 
October 15th, I was struck with the close resemblance of the 
first gardener mentioned to one I once served under. He 
certainly did not like us to use the centre walk for wheeling 
and walking on.. This walk, I may say, went from the glass¬ 
houses at the top- of the kitchen garden, down between two 
herbaceous borders and through the centre of a flower garden, 
and onwards to the house, but at the back of one of the borders 
was a fine wide alley, which, by the way, was more pleasant 
both for wheeling and walking on, but all other walks were 
open to us, this centre gravel walk only being closed, and the 
gardener set the example by very often using the alley him¬ 
self. 
In ridging he was also a strong believer, especially so with 
the larger breaks, and the breaks dug at this season, which 
were dug two spits deep, the trenches being 2 ft. wide, and 
the ridges had to be put up straight, but as we kept a 2 ft. 
stick and a line it was not difficult to put. the ridges up 
straight. An untidy ridge would be commented on sure 
enough. As to ridging at this season, it is an advantage, as 
it exposes a larger surface to the elements than if the ground 
is left level. 
Another job this gardener was very particular in was the 
training of the fruit trees on the walls. Almost without ex¬ 
ception he did the pruning, and we followed with the nailing, 
and many a time a branch, sometimes a tree, had to be 
altered to please him, and once a tree was on the wall to his 
mind, it would stand a look. Most seasons a few trees were 
root-pruned, and those so' treated often got a new site. 
Another job, not exactly his, and one which proved a great 
grievance to a “ term ” arrival, as it was about his fii'st. start, 
off, wa® the “ leaf chasing.” It was started just after the 
“ 11th,” a,nd was the main job until close on the new year. 
Not only lawn® and gardens, but parks and sunk fences had 
to be cleared; sad, indeed, was the job. 
One chap, now a. good many years ago, came at. the “ term, 
and he stayed over the “ leaf chasing,” when he was fed, 
and gave as his reason for changing, “ I have done nothing 
but chase leaves since I came.” Our fortnightly bothy- 
woman used to tell us of him. She thought nothing of his 
leaving, but said, “ The stupid fellow micht ha© stayed the 
simmer efter rakin’ a’ the blades.” 
The bothy was also not to each new comer’s liking, it being 
of the oneu'oomed, lea.n-to 1 , on- the-nortlewall sort, but. happily 
it. is now used for other purposes, and a new bothy built on 
a. “ .sunny ” site, after a series of efforts on the gardener s 
part, the first of which dates long back. This old bothy was 
once commented on in Edinburgh, on the “ 11th by two 
mates when they happened to. meet in the afternoon. 
First Mate: “ Where are you off to?” Second mate: “ Oh, 
-• where are you bound for ?” F. M.: “ --—, in, Fife. ’ 
S. M.: “I was there once!” F. M.: “ What like a shop is it, 
and is there, a good bothy?” S. M. : “A fine old place, not 
much of a bothy, but you will easily know it, it, is close to the 
‘ SCO crave,’ and is six miles from the station ) and see 
you don’t fall down a stokehold when you go to wash your 
face!” 
All the same, I have known chaps who have stayed two 
years; the first six months are often the worst. The gardener 
is now an old man, well over seventy, and has been over forty 
years as gardener in the place. I do not know if lie or any 
other, be they young or old, who adhere to methods of per¬ 
forming their duties, that are attended with a fair amount of 
success, and methods in which they have 'full confidence, can 
on that score be conscientiously classed among the eccentric 
or said to posses® “ daft bits.” 
The next man also adhere® to methods which are attended 
with a, great amount of failure, and it is certainly surprising 
how, being an “ authority,” he made such, grave errors. It 
is evident he was no groat “ authority ’ on 4 ines and Tomato®. 
The next man was: more successful, a® his Grapes turned out, 
all right, but, no doubt he had an eye on another goodish border, 
and probably he knew it to be to 'hi® own advantage for bis 
men to work to bis order's only. 
There is a saying that if you tell a lie at one end of Fife, 
you would not know your own lie at the other end, it being so 
much enlarged, and it is just possible that if this man who 
dresses his Vines with cowdung should have lead Some 
Funny Notions,” lie will not know that it is himself, his vinery, 
•and his dressing of cowdung he is reading about. A foot of 
cowdung is truly a “ fat ” dressing. 
° A “ G. W.” Reader. 
Erratic Fruit Crops.— Lincolnshire fruit-growers are now 
getting second crops of Strawberries, Raspberries, and Goose¬ 
berries, and in some instances the yield equals that of the mid¬ 
summer crop. On the 12th inst. Mr. Robert Thorpe, of Swmes- 
head, near Boston, gathered large quantities of Strawberries 
and Raspberries. Most of the fruit were quite ripe, and it 
the present weather continues, he, in common with many others 
will have more ready to gather in a few days. Such successful 
second crops have never been known before'. 
