1 86 



IKlSll G AkDl'.MXr, 



DKHMIUK 



The Kcntia Palms. 



THIS class of palms is vorv iiili-ivsliiii;, i-Mii-imly 

 useful aiul biMiiliful jilanls. The pliolo shows 

 a Keiilia bolmoreana );:ro\vii in a i^V'inli tub ami 

 staiuliiii; fully lo fool liiifh. It is known in ils native 

 oountiy as the onrly-leafoil palm, where it roaehes a 

 heij,'hl of from 40 to 50 feet. The Kavis are pinnate 



anil ill 



•op K' 



Ihe leatlots having 



nilsome anil 

 tleslitute of 

 •oration of a 

 mil maiestio 



ciirled appearaneo, anil the stems are i|uit< 

 siiiiies. It is a spleniliil ohjeet tor the ile 

 1,'reenhoiise or conservatory, tiuir iiohle 

 foliaj^e proiliicinij an 

 eminently t r o j-" i c a I 

 appearance. Nor liv' 

 liiev rapiilly beconn- 

 too larife to be acconi 

 moilatoil in a meilinm- 

 si/eil house, Tlu\ 

 may also be emploM il 

 w i t h considerable 

 ulvantajje for the en - 

 luMlishment of llie 

 ilrawinijroom in vases 

 ami in atiiiition may 

 lie iiseii with splenibil 

 effect as dinner table 

 decorators when in a 

 young: state. When 

 they so far increase in 

 size as to be no longer 

 suitable for such uses, 

 nothinj^ can be more 

 effective for the de- 

 coration of entrance 

 halls, corridors, or 

 staircases ; indeed, il 

 is impossible to con- 

 ceive any place rc- 

 tjuiringf decoration in 

 which this favourite 

 curly palm could not 

 b e advantageously 

 introduced. Kentias 

 are among-st the 

 easiest plants to cul. 

 tivate, their chief 

 requirements being 



good drainage and an abundant supply of water 

 to both roots and foliage ; in the latter case, however, 

 see that it is clean. The greatest error it is possible to 

 fall into is to keep them dry at any period of the year. 

 Many kind of palms g-row on the banks of rivers in 

 their native country ; others, although g-rowing at 

 considerable distance from running streams, are only- 

 found in humid places. The soil best adapted for their 

 cultivation is a mixture of loam and peat in about equal 

 proportions, adding a little sand to keep it open and 

 sweet. When it is not desirable to put the plants into 

 larger pots, a portion of the surface soil should be 

 removed and replaced with good soil, adding a sprink- 

 ling of some good manure, which is sure to be attended 

 by good effect upon the plants. In regard tore-potting 



palms it c.innol be too strongly impresscil upon tlie 

 opi-r.ilor the necessity of preserving intact the larger 

 lleshy roots which are sure to be founil coiled amongst 

 Ihe ilr.iin.ige, fi>r they ;ire the feeders and real life 

 supporli'is of the pl.ml. N.iture iloes not chop off these 

 roots, .mil if we imitate nature it shoulil be in het very 

 best form, and not allow our plants to be continu.illy 

 struggling for a bare subsistence. 



K. forsteriana is another robust growing variety. ;inil 



in its native country is known as the Thatch Palm on 



.iccount of its leaves being used in Ih.itching houses or 



huts. Its li'.ives are \ery deep green, dillering from 



the curly palm, in.is- 



rnmh as, whereas irr 



the above they an- 



curled, in this plant 



I hey lie quite Hat. 



K. sap i da bears 

 sorm- resemblance to 

 the preceding ; il is. 

 however, more slen- 

 iler in all its parts, anil 

 p r- o d u c e s beautiful 

 bright green leaves, 

 .md it should be in 

 i\ery collection of 

 |ialins. In a young 

 state il is well adapted 

 tor the decoration ol 

 apart merits. 



K. Baueri is another 

 V a r- i e t y of great 

 beauty, often known 

 under the name of 

 Arece Baueri. It also 

 makes a handsome 

 plant for vases in 

 sitting-rooms, or for 

 the dinner-table when 

 in quite a young state. 

 The genus Kentia 

 contains in all ten 

 species. They are dis- 

 tinguished botanically 

 by having their 

 flowers in groups of 

 t h ree ( t wo being male) 

 along the spadix. 

 ccas to North Zealand, 

 n ciintinent. — J. M. T. 



Kknti A Bklmorkana. 



They are found wild from the Molu 

 but are absent from the Australia 



e^ 1^ e^ 

 Sii.VDE Plants.— There is a large number of plants 

 that grow naturally, and therefore best, in the shade. 

 Light exercises a great influence upon the character of 

 leaves, and species that have been long accustomed to 

 shade have adapted themselves to a light of low intensity. 

 A strong light injures them. The leaves of shade plants 

 are, as a rule, thinner and broader and the margins less 

 cut up than the leaves of sun-requiring species. In 

 shade plants, too, there is a greater tendency to form 

 long shoots with more widely spreading branches than 

 is the case with sun plants. 



