rv*? 



Copyright, 1898, bv 

 rUORISTS' PUBUISMirHG CO., 520-S35 Caxton Bulldlnft. CHICAGO. 



VoLH. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, JULY 28, 1898. 



No. 35. 



ACANTHOPHOENIX CRINITA. 



The subject of our illustration is a 

 remarkably handsome warm house 

 palm that has been in cultivation for 

 the past thirty years, but is still rather 



One of the characteristics that dis- 

 tinguish acanthophoenix from areca is 

 very distinct in the species i^ question, 

 namely, the fact that the former is 

 abundantly supplied with long black- 

 ish spines all along the stems, while 



Acantlirophoenix Crinita. 



an uncommon species. It has much 

 the habit ot growth of an areca, the 

 leaves being pmnate, the leaflets long 

 and drooping, and the plant in general 

 very graceful in appearance. 



no true areca bears spines, and in ad- 

 dition to this the under side of the 

 leaves of A. crinita is silvery white. 

 The latter peculiarity doubtless ac- 

 counted for an erroneous name under 



which this palm was once introduced, 

 that is. Calamus dealbata. Being a na- 

 tive of Seychelles, and probably of low 

 moist land near the coast of that is- 

 lanil, we find that this palm is best 

 suited under stove culture, a night 

 temperature of 70 degrees and plenty 

 of water being among the chief essen- 

 tials to its welfare, while a rather 

 light and well drained soil seems to 

 give the best results. 



In common with palms in general 

 that require warm treatment, there is 

 the ever-present probability of finding 

 some injurious insects on acantho- 

 phoenix. the most likely pests being 

 scale and unless well syringed also red 

 spider, but with proper attention these 

 pests may be kept down, and so beau- 

 tiful a palm is worthy of a little extra 

 attention in the line of cleanliness. 



Seeds are the only means of propa- 

 gation for A. crinita, and as the seeds 

 of this species sometimes take over 

 two years to germinate, it is scarcely 

 probable that this palm will become 

 popular for trade purposes. 



W. H. TAPLIN. 



ASTILBE THUNBERGH. 



We have plenty of early flowering 

 spiraeas, but when July comes upon ns 

 most of them are pa.st their best, and 

 then is the time we appreciate the 

 splendid pyramidal branchy panicles of 

 this white astilbe as a cut flower as 

 well as in our borders. They withstand 

 the heat and drought better than any 

 of their relatives and last for a long 

 time in perfection. 



The flower stems rise well above the 

 foliage, are about 1% feet high, and 

 the side branchlets in the panicle stand 

 well out, slightly bent or arched in a 

 downward direction, thus lending a 

 more loose and graceful appearance to 

 the flowers, which are considered by 

 many far superior as a cut flower than 

 the well known A. japonica and its va- 

 rieties. The foliage is a trifle larger 



