Copyright, 1898, by 

 FUORI8TS' PUBUIStlllNG CO.. 520-535 Caxton Building, CtllGi^GO. 



Vol. n. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, AUGUST; I J, J898. 



No. 37. 



BISMARCKIA NOBILIS. 



Noteworthy new palms have been 

 few and far between of late years, but 

 the species here illustrated seems 

 worthy of more than passing mention. 

 The palm in question is the only mem- 



groves, and in some instances reach- 

 ing a height of two hundred feet, 

 these magnificent specimens being 

 topped with an immense crown of 

 palmate leaves, and giving somewhat 

 the idea of a gigantic Sabal. 

 As will be noted from the photo the 



Bismarckia Nobilis. 



ber of the genus at present, and on its 

 discovery in 1S79 was named in honor 

 of the great German statesman. 



Bismarckia nobilis was found grow- 

 ing along a river in the western part 

 of Madagascar, and from the account 

 of the discoverer must be a grand 

 sight there, growing as it does in large 



leaves of B. nobilis are rather stiff in 

 the young plant, the leaf stems being 

 quite strong and unarmed or very 

 slightly serrated, the latter being an- 

 other point in its favor and the young 

 plant also seems to hold its foliage 

 well. In color the leaves of B. nobilis 

 remind one of those of Sabal Black- 



burniana, being bluish green, and 

 apart from a little stiffness, the gen- 

 eral effect of the plant is good. 



The seeds of this palm are described 

 as growing in large drooping bunches, 

 the individual fruits being dark brown, 

 plum-like, and about one and one-half 

 inches in diameter. The first consign- 

 ment of seeds was sent to the Berlin 

 Botanical Garden, and resulted in 

 about 70 per cent, germination, but the 

 entire lot was but a small number. 

 Still as this is rather more than the 

 average percentage of germination ob- 

 tained from kentia seeds, it would 

 seem as though bismarckia was not a 

 specially difficult subject to handle. 



As to the trade value of this hand- 

 some palm little can be said as yet 

 owing to its comparative scarcity, and 

 like many other iine palms, it will only 

 be found in private collections until 

 such time as the seeds may be had in 

 regular and liberal supply and also at 

 a reasonable figure. 



W. H. TAPLIN. 



SWEET PEAS FOR CHRISTMAS. 



Will you please let me know what 

 varieties of sweet peas are best for 

 winter flowering? What time must I 

 sow the seed to get them in bloom for 

 Christmas? I. W. D. 



Wisconsin. 



I have never heard of sweet pea? at 

 Christmas. If they were worth as much 

 as orchids it is just possible they could 

 be sown at once in a house, and if 

 they flowered by September and the 

 flowers were picked off that a few 

 scattering blooms could be had. But 

 would it pay? Not by any means. The 

 sweet peas have their season the same 

 as the mums and the tulips. There are 

 few flowers that we want to reign all 

 the year. March is as early as green- 

 house grown sweet peas are sown in 

 our northern clime, and the middle of 

 April is nearer the time that the large 



