February 29, 1908. 
t HE GARDENING WORLD 
»39 
Raising tuberous Begonias from Seed. 
Tuberous Begonias from Seed. 
Provided a growing temperature of not 
less than sixty-five degrees can be com¬ 
manded, good strong tuberous Begonias 
can readily be raised from seed for bed¬ 
ding out and other purposes, February- 
sown plants usually producing a fine dis¬ 
play of bloom during the month of July. 
As the seed is verv minute, it should be 
mixed with a little fine sand before sow¬ 
ing, so that it can be thinly and evenly 
distributed. 
Soil consisting of equal parts good 
fibrous loam and decayed leaf mould, and 
quarter of a part coarse sand should be 
prepared and passed through a fine sieve. 
Well drain one or two pans with broken 
potsherds and rough compost siftings, fill 
with compost, and stand each in a larger 
pan of water as shown in Fig. 1 of the 
annexed sketches so that the soil becomes 
thoroughly moistened, this method of ap¬ 
plying water being the best both for pans 
of fine compost and small tender seed¬ 
lings: Allow the pans to drain, and then 
scatter the seed carefully and thinly over 
the surface, lightly dusting it over with 
some very fine compost and gently press¬ 
ing the surface with a piece of glass or a 
contrivance formed of smooth wood simi¬ 
lar to Fig. 2, one of those shown being 
for use in boxes and square pans, and 
the other for pots and circular pans. 
Cover each pan with a sheet of glass 
and also a sheet of paper, as shown in 
Fig. 3, and plunge in cocoa fibre refuse 
with a bottom heat of about seventy de¬ 
grees. Remove the glass for a short time 
each morning and wipe off all moisture, 
remove the paper as soon as germination 
has taken place, and gradually expose 
the -seedlings to full light and air, one 
method of gradually increasing the supply 
of air to a pan of seedlings being shotvn 
in Figs. 4 and 5, the glass being tilted 
on pieces of stick laid across the pan. 
As soon as the seedlings have formed 
two or three leaves they should be pricked 
out one and a half inches apart in pans 
or boxes of compost as before, the safest 
method of handling them being to loosen 
the soil with a pointed stick and lift each 
plant and place it in position in the 
pricking-out box by means of a notched 
stick as shown in Fig. 6. When this 
operation is completed, apply water in 
the manner before advised and keep the 
seedlings rather close for four or five days, 
after tvhich grow on in a fairly moist and 
warm atmosphere. Before the seedlings 
become crowded, pot off singly into 2\ in. 
pots, and when necessary, transfer to 
4 in. pots, soil of a similar character as 
before, but rather coarser in texture, being 
suitable. During the month of May the 
hardening off process should be com¬ 
menced, this being done gradually and 
steadily, and towards the middle of June 
the plants may be Bedded out. 
Ortus. 
-- 
The Propagation of . . 
FERNS. 
The propagation of Ferns is a pleasing 
and very interesting operation. The 
spores, or sporuies, the reproductive 
bodies of Ferns, are quite different to 
other ordinary seeds; they are composed 
of cells, and the embryo is absent; usually 
they are formed on the underside of the 
fronds. Some, however, like the Os- 
munda, are borne on spikes. 
To gather the spores in readiness for 
sowing, select the ripe fronds on which 
the spores have formed and place them 
in a box, with a sheet of paper at the 
bottom, to catch the spores as they fall, 
or become detached from the fronds, after 
which they are ready for sowing. 
To sow by a good and simple method, 
procure a six-inch pot, half fill it with 
crocks, so as to ensure good drainage, 
spread over this a little moss, and fill up 
to within half an inch of the rim with 
fibrous peat, finely sifted, and some clean 
silver-sand. The surface afterwards 
should be pressed firm and moistened, 
and the spores evenly distributed over it 
and slightly covered with some very fine 
soil, after which the pot should be placed 
in a saucer containing water and covered 
with glass to stay evaporation. An occa¬ 
sional spray of water should be given on 
the surface, never allowing the saucer to 
become empty, but shading from the sun is 
essential to success. In about nine weeks 
the spores will start into life, and form 
little pretty green dots, which grow into 
beautiful fronds. At this stage ventila¬ 
tion is needed, afterwards pricking them 
out into boxes or pans as soon as they 
are large enough to handle. 
Another simple method for the propa¬ 
gation of spores, while they are still fast 
on the fronds, is to procure a rectangular 
tray; in the centre place two soft bricks 
close together, or some other very porous 
material. On the surface of this, press 
firmly half an inch of fine soil, lay the 
frond on this, spores downwards, and just 
merely cover over with some fine sandy 
soil pressed firm. See that the tray 
always contains sufficient water to 
thoroughly saturate the bricks, and keep 
in a shaded place in the greenhouse or 
frame, with a little attention to damping 
overhead every few days; the resultant 
reward will be success to the enthusiast. 
Joseph Floyd. 
- 4~*4 - 
Sophrocattleva Antiochus rubra. 
The sepals and petals of this bigeneric 
hybrid are of a deep rich purple. The 
lip is also crimson shaded with purple. 
It is a very richly coloured flower of its 
class. Award of Merit by the R.H.S. on 
Februarv nth when shown by Messrs. 
Charlesworth and Co., Heaton, Bradford. 
