The Garden Under Glass

THE BEST FOLIAGE PLANTS 113 Cuttings may be taken if desired, but better and surer results are obtained from seeds. When the plant becomes leggy it may be cut back and will break out from below, but young plants worked along from a small yearly sowing will give the best results. Except during the early part of its career, the Grevillea does not require a high temperature, a cold-house temperature of 450 to 50° being more suitable. Ferns Judged by the number of species and varieties, this is indeed a formidable subject. But unless any reader intends to specialise in ferns I can in a few words outline a treatment which will be sufficiently satisfactory. If he intends to specialise, then I can only recommend him to buy some of the eminentl^ practical books on ferns by such well-known specialists as the Rev. D. Druery. This work is not intended for the specialist but for the general grower. However, ferns are a vital necessity to a beautiful con-servatory, so we must afford a few practical paragraphs. In the first place I would advise the reader to purchase young plants in pots from a good fern-grower. To increase his stock he has then two courses open to him. Either he may grow thexn from spores, which is interesting, or he may increase them by division, which is certain. I would advise both methods. Fronds of ferns should be gathered when the spores at the back of the little leaflets are ripe—quite brown. These fronds should be carefully put in clean white paper. After several days it will be found on examination that there has accumulated a quantity of very fine brown dust. This will be sown. Fill a shallow pan, after duly crocking it, with clean, fine sandy soil pressed down moderately firm. Then put a small piece of brown paper or cardboard on H