22 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



cultivated more extensively in this country. Some of tlie more 

 hardy species will grow readily in an ordinary sitting-room without 

 any attention beyond giving them a good supply of water when 

 necessary, and occasionally sponging the foliage to remove dust and 

 other impurities. They are admirably adapted for this purpose, and 

 have a more graceful appearance than the long-legged, scraggy pelar- 

 goniums that are too often met with in such situations. It cer- 

 tainly cannot be their price that prevents their being more generally 

 grown, since many of the most popular sorts are not more expen- 

 sive than the ordinary run of stove plants. Seeds are occasionally 

 to be had, and are sometimes advertised in the horticultural periodi- 

 cals. Seedlings may be purchased in some of the continental nur- 

 series in the seed pots for a trifle, and perhaps our own nurserymen 

 could so supply them if desired. This arrangement would suit those 

 amateurs who have not much money to spare for plant buying, or who 

 like to grow their own plants. 



In sowing the seeds of such sorts as can be procured, place them 

 regularly in well-drained five-inch pots, in a mixture of fresh turfy 

 loam, peat, and a little sand. The number of seeds in a pot will 

 depend much on their size, and this may be left entirely to the culti- 

 vator. After they are sown, place the pots in a gentle bottom-heat ; 

 if plunged in a hot-bed of leaves, tan, or manure, so much the 

 better. A newly-made cucumber bed will be just the place for 

 them. Some germinate in a few weeks, while others remain months 

 before they throw up their delicate green plumules above the soil. 

 Then comes the pleasure of watching their first tiny leaves unfold, 

 and of carefully turning them out and potting them, if singly, into 

 small pots, as palms must not be disturbed at the roots more than 

 can be possibly helped. Indeed, if they are turned out of the pots 

 and the ball of soil reduced, and a large proportion of the roots 

 trimmed off" in the same way as many soft-wooded plants are root- 

 pruned, numbers of them will perish. 



Palms should be repotted annually when in a young state and 

 growing vigorously ; but afterwards once in two years will be quite 

 often enough ; and when they attain a very large size, a shift every 

 three or four years will be all that they require. The pots must be 

 drained efficiently, as they require liberal supplies of water at all 

 seasons of the year, but more especially while making their new 

 growth an abundance of water is required. If therefore the drain- 

 age is ineffective, the soil will soon become sour, and the roots will 

 perish. Specimens after remaining in the same pots for several years 

 should be assisted occasionally during the growing season with weak 

 liquid manure, but previous to their becoming pot-bound it will be 

 better for them to be watered with clear rain water, or water that 

 has been exposed to the atmosphere some time before it is used. 



Sound turfy loam, chopped up roughly, and a moderate quantity 

 of silver sand then mixed with it, forms a capital compost in which 

 all the species at present in general cultivation can be satisfactorily 

 grown. Until quite recently palms were entirely neglected by 

 gardeners generally, and by nurserymen also, and very few species were 

 obtainable in this country. The public taste has, however, under- 



