Nczv and Rare Plants 



217 



quite the fashion to ignore the Chusan Pahii 

 (C. Fortunei), and refer all the examples of 

 that plant now existing in the country to C. 

 excelsa, and calling this last species "the 

 hardy Palm." Now, I am quite willing to 

 admit these plants are extremely difficult to 

 distinguish, especially in a young state, yet I 

 do maintain they are distinct, and amongst 

 other points of distinction, C. Fortunei is 

 hardy, whilst C. excelsa is not, and, there- 

 fore, those who refer to the former, by the 

 name of the latter, are not only labouring 

 under a great mistake themselves, but are 

 misleading those they profess to teach. The 

 Chusan Palm, which was introduced by that 

 indefatigable cohector, Mr Robert Fortune, 

 and whose name it worthily bears, is a some- 

 what dwarf plant, seldom, as far as I can 

 learn, making a stem over 14 feet in height. 

 This is somewhat short for its breadth, 

 and furnished with a profusion of rough 

 coarse netted fibre, from which John China- 

 man manufactures a rough, and anything but 

 a recherche coat ; on the other hand, C. ex- 

 celsa is a native of the Himalayas, and forms 

 a somewhat slender stem, attaining a height 

 of from 20 to 30 feet; in addition to this, 

 the petioles of the leaves are longer than in 

 the Chinese plant, and they are armed at the 

 edges, with small teeth-like spines^ and the 

 whole leaf is more erect; and, therefore, those 

 amateurs desirous to plant the hardy Palm 

 must procure the Chinese species, and not 

 the Himalayan C. excelsa. Let us, however, 

 regard them from another stand-point, and 

 consider their utihty as room decorators ; and 

 for this purpose they will be found well de- 

 serving the attention of amateurs, as they 

 are admirably adapted for the decoration of 

 apartments, halls, or, indeed, any part of the 

 dwelling-house which it is desirable to deco- 

 rate with vegetable lite, saving the dinner- 

 table ; and for this place I consider them 

 quite unsuited, because I hold the opinion 

 that plants upon a dinner-table should either 

 be sufficiently low to enable the diner to 

 see over them when seated at the table, or 

 they must have a clear stem of about 15 inches, 

 in order that the view below them may be 



clear; for nothing can be more annoying 

 than playing bo-peep round a thick and bushy 

 plant in order to get a word with your friend 

 opposite, and to sit with a massive plant be- 

 tween oneself and a charming friend of the 

 fair sex is certainly most vexatious. Now, 

 under these circumstances, I object to these 

 Palms for table decoration, because they are 

 not sufficiently handsome, when small enough 

 to warrant their adoption, and they do not 

 lose their leaves from the lower part of the 

 stem to enable them to be seen under, until 

 they are a great size — too large, in fact, for 

 table decoration, except where the plants are 

 taken through the table, a system which I 

 certainly do not appreciate ; but, as I before 

 remarked, for the decorating rooms, for win- 

 dow plants, either inside or outside, for 

 grouping in borders during summer with 

 other plants, or for planting out singly upon 

 the lawn, they are peculiarly adapted, the 

 fan-like shape of their dark green plaited 

 leaves lending a thoroughly tropical appear- 

 ance to the scene. And as this is more appa- 

 rent in a small garden than in a large one, 

 they are particularly deserving the attention 

 of amateurs with but limited space and little 

 or no glass, I have now plants of these 

 Palms which have been used in this manner 

 for three or four yeais; they grow well, and 

 are of a beautiful colour; in fact, by their 

 appearance it would be impossible to tell if 

 they had stood in the apartments a day, or a 

 month, instead of years. By this, it will be 

 understood, that I am not suggesting im- 

 possibilities to the reader, but facts that have 

 been thoroughly tested ; and I would there- 

 fore urge on my readers the cultivation 

 of these plants as permanent room decora- 

 tors. 



A bountiful supply of water to the roots, and 

 an occasional washing of the foliage in order 

 to remove any dust which may accumulate 

 will be all that is necessary. Avoid large 

 pots, especially in small rooms. I find it 

 very beneficial to my Palms to remove the 

 old soil from the surface in spring, filling up 

 with fresh mould, and thus I retain my plants 

 in the same sized pots. — Vive Vale. 



