THE TUNBRIDGE FILM FERN. 307 
thrive best under the following treatment:—If to be grown as a 
pot plant, procure as many shallow pots or deep pans as may be 
required (from eight to twelve inches wide will be as convenient a 
size as any, and will grow a nice mass); fill the pot or pan to within 
an inch and a half or two inches of the rim with small crocks, upon 
this place half an inch of white moss (sphagnum), which press down 
tight; the pot is then to be filled quite full with powdered sand- 
stone, which is also to be pressed down very firm, and upon this a 
little silver sand is to be sprinkled. -Then turn the Fern tuft root 
upwards, damp the roots, and sprinkle a little sand upon or between. 
them ; after that turn the whole over upon the surface prepared for 
its reception, sprinkle a little more dry sand over the surface, press 
it all down together, give it a good watering and leave it to settle. 
This is when the Fern is procured in flakes (which may be found 
several yards square) just like a sheet of wadding. If only a few 
small pieces can be got, then they must be very carefully spread 
over the same prepared surface and imbedded in the sand, pressed 
down and watered as before. When this is done, a bell-glass must 
be placed over the whole so as to fit just within the rim of the pot, 
and the pot to stand in another pan of water, so that two-thirds of 
the depth of crocks at the bottom of the pot may be immersed in 
water, but the level of the water must be below the bottom of the 
moss.” 
The plants require a glass covering to preserve about them a con- 
stantly moist atmosphere ; and constant, but not stagnant, moisture, 
should be maintained about their roots. These are their main 
requirements, and it matters little how they are applied, whether in 
a Wardian case, or bencath a common bell-glass. We learn from 
Mr. Clowes, who has been more than ordinarily successful in 
managing the Film Ferns, that the bell-glasses ought always to have 
a small opening near the top of the glass : indeed he considers two 
such openings better than one, so as to secure a current of air over 
the top; until he adopted this expedient, his efforts to cultivate 
these plants were attended with but little success. 

