СНАРТЕК ТУ 
ЕЕКМ ЗЕГЕСТТОМ 
HAVING in the last chapter given advice аз to how to propagate 
by buds, patent or latent, and by spores, we may now consider 
what is the best material, especially in the latter connection, to be 
used, in order to improve quality and enhance the charm, in which 
direction so much has been done in the past, and so much may be 
done in future. It is a curious fact that once a Fern, or indeed any 
other plant, has departed from the beaten track, i.e. the normal or 
common form, and as а “sport ” has adopted a different habit of 
growth, shape of foliage, or other practically new character, it is 
apt to display these same characters in its progeny, i.e. breed fairly 
true, and sometimes entirely true, throughout the brood. In many 
instances, however, careful examination of the seedlings or spore- 
lings will show divergences, some in the direction of the normal 
form, i.e. reversion, though very rarely entirely, and others in a 
forward direction, showing the “sport” character more markedly, 
and it is, of course, in this direction that the judicious spore sower 
should steer. Given improved seedlings (we prefer seedling to 
sporeling, even in Ferns, since practically a seed precedes the young 
Fern) of this class, the probability is that their offspring will vary 
still more, and we may, in this connection, point especially to the 
immense number of beautiful Hartstongues which are now ex- 
hibited at our chief floral shows, as examples which, if sown from, 
would probably yield no two plants exactly alike, though all would 
be on similar lines. In fact, the great majority of them exemplify 
this in themselves. To propagate such truly we must resort to 
division or the induced bulbils already described. Ferns which 
present any signs of inconstancy, such as partial reversion, or any 
irregularities of form, defective pinne, etc., should be strenuously 
avoided by the spore sower, since defects are almost invariably 
transmitted, and there is nowadays such a wealth of unexception- 
able material that it is waste of time to attempt reformation of 
what are known in Fern language as “ rogues.” Thoroughbreds, 
on the other hand, i.e. perfectly symmetrical and constant forms, 
may be relied on, and in some instances, three especially, with 
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