THE CULTIVATION OF FERNS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2128, 18 December 1880, Page 4

THE CULTIVATION OF FERNS.

The following is a reprint (with a few slight corrections) of a paper by Mr A. W. Howard, which appeared in the “ Garden and the Field ” : . • • These is no class of plants more admired than these, and they are, indeed, worthy of our admiration, for their beauty of habit and the elegance of the individual fronds cannot be equalled by any other folioge plants. Although this colony is not particularly rich in ferns, its climate is, nevertheless, tuimirably adapted for their cultivation—that is to say, while in hotter climates than ours it is extremely difficult to cultivate ferns which are natives of cool countries, ond impossible in cold countries to cultivate those which are natives of tropical or even sub-tropical climates ( except by the aid of expensive artificial moans), we oan here cultivate the native Ferns of both hot and cool climates with little or no protection. We will admit that the more attention bestowed upon them, to so much the greater perfection oan they be grown. But our object is to show that those with limited means can enjoy the luxury of these, tho most graceful productions of nature, equally with tho wealthy—that expensive horticultural erections are not absolutely necessary for their cultivation, or at least for the cultivation of many of the most beautiful of them, protection from the direct rays of the sun during the hottest months of the year—[and from drying winds also.— Ed.) —being all that is necessary. Most of tho Adiantums, Pteris, Davallias, Lomarias, Nolhoohlajnae, Nephrolepis, Oheilanthee, and Aspleniums will succeed well simply protected from the sun, and each and all of these genera supply us with the most beautiful of Fern forms. The chief material used in their cultivation should be peat, mixed with sharp sand and a little loam. The proportion should bo four parts peat, one part sand, and one part loam ; tho peat chopped up in small pieces and so used is preferable to rubbing it fine. The Davallias are propagated by cuttings of the rhizomes or creeping stems, as also is the Nephrolepis. The others mentioned are all easily raised from spores, of which multitudes will be found at the baok of developed fronds. When raising them from spores, these should be sprinkled on the surface of a pot filled with some of the compost moistened, and covered with a pane of glass, until tho lichen green like shields of the embryo plants have spread over the eurfooe. Ferns, like most other plants, require to be well drained; stagnant moisture at tbe roots is fatal to them. In the growing season they delight in a moist atmosphere, but they should at all times be allowed to get partially dry at the roots before receiving a fresh supply of water. Seaweed is an excellent drainage material for them, and so far from its being injurious, the roots will be found to ramify in it. In potting seedling ferns care should be taken to preserve all the rootlets possible, and to press the soil firmly round the plants, and care should always be taken to have the orowo of tbe plants slightly above tho level of the soil.”