i8 97 



' ' ' GARDENING. 



THE FISH-TAIL PALM {Caryota ureiu) FRUITING. CEYLON. 



ation, therefore a selection of such plants 

 only should be made which will endure 

 the prolonged drouth without losing 

 their vigor. However, alter making the 

 right selection nobody must imagine that 

 he may stick in these herbaceous plants in 

 any place and then have them grow and 

 flower without further preparation or 

 care at all. In the first place the borders 

 or beds must in every instance be deeply 

 and thoroughly prepared, well enriched 



with old manure, before the different spe- 

 cies of plants can bepermanently planted; 

 we have to bear in mind that the soil in 

 the bed has to support these plants for 

 many years. The work of preparing the 

 border and planting should be performed 

 either early in autumn or as soon as spring 

 opens and before the weather gets warm 

 enough to start the plants into growth; 

 the earlier the better. The plants should 

 get a fair start while the ground is yet in 



a moist condition and therefore a heavy 

 mulching over the whole surface for the 

 first summer will be found a great benefit 

 to a vigorous start, especially if planting 

 has been delayed until spring. 



By far the largest part of our borders is 

 rather dry and watering is out of the 

 question, except perhaps in a few- 

 instances around or near the house and 

 then only in prolonged dry weather. For 

 years I bad opportunity to watch the 



