1S73. ] GEOXOMA MARTIANA SEEMAXNI. THE APPLE : ITS CULTURE, ETC. 85 



of a Pine pit, when the young plants will very soon appear. I learned this from a 

 worthy gardener with whom I lived as foreman more than thirty years ago, and 

 who grew this plant very well, better, indeed, than most people ; by his directions, 

 I treated the seeds as just mentioned, and the result was that a great number of 

 seedlings were raised. — M. Saul, Stourton, YorJcs/iire. 



GEONOMA MARTIANA yar. SEEMANNI. 



"WITH AN ILLUSTRATION. 



^H^NE of the most distinct and striking of the dwarfer Palms. The beautiful 

 ^\^ specimen here represented is from the rich collection of Sam Mendel, Esq., 

 jTis) of Manchester — which, unfortunately, is about to be broken up and distri- 

 '^ buted by auction. The plant is very rare in cultivation, very few having 

 been raised from the batch of seeds brought over by the late Dr. Seemann, after 

 whom it is named. Unlike many Palms, its foliage is similar throughout its 

 different stages of growth, varying only in size. The leaves are wedge-shaped at 

 the base and bifid at the extremity, and the only difference observable between 

 them as the plant increases in stature, is this increase of size, and even that is very 

 gradual, since the habit is stocky, and the development slow. The plant was 

 introduced to the nursery of Mr. Bull, of Chelsea, and distributed in 1868. 



About 80 species of the genus Geononia are known, — plants which, from 

 their manageable size and handsome foliage, are specially suited for cultivation, but 

 comparatively few of them are yet introduced. Dr. Seemann speaks of them as 

 humble but graceful Palms, often growing beneath the shade of such lofty kinds 

 as the species of Mauritia^ Attalea^ &c., and bearing about the same relation to 

 them as the Hazel does to the Oak in our European woods. The stems are 

 usually from 6 ft. to 10 ft. high, sometimes reaching to 15 ft., and being about 

 as thick as a walking-cane. The species with entire leaves are said to be used 

 for thatch, and Dr. Spruce praises in the latter respect the swallow-tailed kinds 

 like that represented in our plate, and which have entire bifid leaves. Dr. 

 Seemann's experience, however, did not coincide with this, for besides being 

 troublesome, he found them to be not very durable. The plant now illustrated 

 is found in Central America, and Dr. Seemann, in a communication to the 

 Gardeners^ C7iroiiicle, refers to its use during his stay in the Chontales district 

 as an indifferent kind of thatch. — T. Moobe. 



THE APPLE : ITS CULTUPtE AND VARIETIES.— Chap. III. 



50 rules for our guidance in matters like this can be laid down so positively, 

 ;iv but that exceptions will crop up in practice. Our Amateur friends must 

 not, therefore, construe my remarks, in the last chapter, on lifting, root- 

 pruning, and transplanting too literally, because some varieties, especially 

 when worked' on the Paradise stock, possess naturally so fruitful a habit of growth, 

 are so prolific in the production of fruit buds, and so little inclined to run to wood, 

 that they rather need to be encouraged to make growth by extra feeding, than 



