lo Aug., 1908.] Garden Notes. 507 



GARDEN NOTES. 



/. Cronin, Principal, School of Horticulture , Burnley. 



Palms. 



Palms constitute a large order of plants most of which are distributed 

 throughout the tropical and sub-tropical portions of the globe; only a 

 few kinds occur in temperate regions. A few very important kinds from 

 a horticultural point of view are natives of Australia and islands adjacent, 

 Lord Howe's Island being the home of a small genus comprising two 

 species that are probably cultivated to a greater extent than any other 

 decorative type of plants known. In their native habitats many palms 

 attain a great height, while others are dwarf in stature ; some kinds 

 produce leaves fully thirty feet in length, while in ochers the leaves are 

 only a few inches long. The form of the leaves varies greatly ; in some 

 species the leaves are fan shaped, in others feathery, but in almost all 

 cases they are extremely beautiful and graceful. The fruits of the 

 various groups also exhibit great variation ; in some kinds it is small 

 and borne in bunches, resembling grapes, and in others large and borne 

 singly, as in the case of the cocoa-nut. Palms are of immense economic 

 importance in tropical countries, providing the inhabitants with the greater 

 portion of their needs in shelter and food, a familiar example of the pro- 

 duce of certain kinds being the well known sago of commerce; but it 

 is on account of their great beauty as decorati\e plants that they are 

 cultivated in all civilized countries. 



In this State many palms have pro\ed to he sufficiently hardy to 

 justify their being planted in quantity in gardens. One of the most 

 noteworthy is the Thread palm, Was/uugtonia flLifera, {Braliea), a native 

 of California, that succeeds splendidly in the Northern districts where 

 the summer temperature frequently exceeds 100 degrees m the shade, 

 resisting alike the influences of the great heat and fierce hot winds of 

 sunmner, and the severe cold weather with heavy frost that commonly 

 occurs during winter. A fine collection of palms, including many genera 

 and species that are not usually cultivated except under glass or shade 

 house conditions, is grown at the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. Splendid 

 specimens of many kinds have de\eloped during the past few years, and 

 are a source of attraction to thousands of visitors at all seasons. 

 Generally, the palms cultivated as outdoor garden plants in Victoria are 

 limited to a few genera, such as the date palms, Plia;nix, and the fan 

 palms, Trachycarfus and \Y ashingtov.ia, but it is probable that many 

 other genera will be added in the near future, when it is found that 

 their cultivation is much easier than is commonly considered. As pot 

 plants for glass and .shade house, room, and table decoration, an im- 

 mense number of palms, running into hundreds of thousands, are raised 

 and sold annually by Victorian nurserymen, the most popular kind being ^ 

 Howe a {Kentid) Forsteriana, a native of Lord Howe's Island. 



Suitable Soil Conditions. 



A well drained and fairly porous loam is the most suitable soil for 

 palms. A few of the hardier kinds will thrive in almost any kind of 

 soil from a light sandy to a stiff clay, if the drainage is good and a 

 little care is taken of the young plants until fairly established. There 



