We scraped the moss from
a circle of about six feet and loosened the surface of the earth only,
and very carefully. Then we spread some moist leaf-mould on the rough
but flat surface of a partly exposed rock. Going to a near-by bit of
woods that was being despoiled, as in your valley, we chose two great
mats of polypody and moss that had no piercing twigs to break the
fabric, and carefully peeled them from the rocks, as you would bark from
a tree, the matted rootstocks weaving all together. Moistening these
thoroughly, we wrapped them in a horse blanket and hurried home. The
earth and rock already prepared were sprinkled with water and the fern
fabric applied and gently but firmly pressed down, that resting on the
earth being held by the ever useful hairpin!
The rock graft was more difficult, but after many failures by way of
stones that rolled off, a coarse network of cords was put across and
fastened to whatever twigs or roots came in the way. Naturally a period
of constant sprinkling followed, and for that season the rock graft
seemed decidedly homesick, but the next spring resignation had set in,
and two years later the polypodys had completely adopted the new
location and were prepared to appropriate the whole of it.
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