PALMS. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
13. 
dry the atmosphere so much as needful with 
ordinary greenhouse stock. At the same 
time more moisture should be used in the 
atmosphere than in the case of other green- 
house plants. Plenty of light is of great 
importance, especially through the growing 
season ; shading from the sun when it is 
owerful most of the species require, but 
By far the greater number of Ferns like 
more light than is usually given them. 
As will be seen, there is no difference 
between the stove and the greenhouse 
kinds in the matters of propagation, pot- 
ting, soil, &c. 
Insecrs.—Most of the insects that prey 
upon plants grown under glass affect 
Ferns. Thrips, in particular, are trouble- 
some, and are best destroyed by syring- 
ing and fumigating, and by dipping 
and washing with tobacco water when the 
growth is matured. Greenfly sometimes 
affects the young fronds, and as a remedy 
fumigate slightly. Scale is the worst to 
contend with on these plants, as where it 
gets a lodgment on many of the species, 
such as the Gleichenias, it is difficult to 
deal with when the specimens are large. 
Repeated washings with insecticide when 
the plants are at rest, is the best remedy. 
For mealy bug syringe freely with tepid 
water. 
PALMS. 
GENERAL DeEraits or Cutturse.— Until 
within comparatively recent times these 
elegant plants were rarely seen except in 
Botanic gardens, the general supposition 
being that they were too large for cul- 
tivation in private places. But better 
acquaintance with them proves that there 
are many which possess naturally a suffi- 
ciently dwarf habit to admit of their being 
grown for a number of years in pots or 
similar appliances, by which their growth 
may be still further restricted, so as to keep 
them within sufficient bounds to admit of 
their being accommodated in houses of or- 
‘dinary size. Many of the species will 
bear this dwarfing treatment and yet ex- 
hibit their elegant form and character in 
such a way as to render them beautiful 
objects for the decoration of rooms and 
other places where only plants of small 
size would be admissible. So accommoda- 
ting are Palms in this respect, that many 
which naturally attain a large size can be 
kept quite small whilst still having a 
healthy appearance. Another peculiarity 
possessed by these plants, which goes 
far to commend them, is that many of the 
species will grow in a considerably lower 
temperature than that in which they exist 
where found indigenous. 
The family of Palms is a large one, con- 
taining many genera and a great number 
of species, comparatively few of which, 
however, are suitable for the general cul- 
tivator, and it will be better to confine the 
accompanying details to such as grow 
freely. Those kinds that produce suckers 
can be increased by division, potting the 
the suckers when taken off singly, and 
keeping them warm and in a little closer 
atmosphere until they get established. But 
the general method of raising these plants 
is from seeds, which are imported from 
the countries where they grow naturally. 
The seeds ought to be fresh, and, suppos- 
ing them to be started about the beginning 
of the year, they should be sown moderate- 
ly thickly in shallow pans, drained and 
filled with ordinary loam sifted and mixed 
with enough sand to make it moderately 
free and porous. A little fine soil should 
be put over the seeds and they must be 
placed in a temperature of about 70°. 
There is considerable difference in the 
time the different species take to germi- 
nate, some being much quicker in this than 
others. | When the young plants have 
made a little growth they must be put 
singly into small pots before their roots 
get entangled ; if allowed to stop too long 
in seed-pans they suffer in this way. The 
seedlings will bear a strong heat in the 
summer—65° or 70° in the night; the 
higher figure is not absolutely necessary, 
but under it they make more progress. 
They will do with 10° or 15° higher than 
this in the day time. They should have 
a fair amount of light to keep them from 
drawing up weakly, and have air in the 
day ; shade when the weather is bright, 
and give plenty of water, without which 
at all times most kinds will not succeed 
well, and will become of a sickly yellow 
colour. Some of the freest growers will 
want a little larger pots towards the end 
of summer ; in this the cultivator must 
be guided by the amount of roots they 
have made, as it will not do to let them 
get pot-bound at this stage. Palms will 
succeed in either peat or loam. We prefer 
the latter where it can be had of a good 
mellow nature ; it should have a moderate 
quantity of sand added. Discontinue shad- 
ing as the autumn advances, and reduce the 
temperature day and night; 60° in the 
night through the winter will answer for all 
the heat-requiring kinds, with a rise of a 
few degrees in the day more or less accord- 
ing to. the weather. About the end of 
February all that were not potted a 
second time will most likely require 
moving into larger pots in size proportion- 
ate to that of the particular species and 
