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PALMS 
ALMS are tropical plants of great beauty. Their large 
leaves are borne on slender, simple stems, which 
often rise to a considerable height, a picture of 
lightness and elegance. The stems sometimes 
divide at the base and form bushy specimens, as is 
always the case with the very common and very 
beautiful Aveca Jutescens and a few of our own dwarf palms. 
The leaves are often of a gigantic size, reaching a length of 
thirty or forty feet, and a width of five. The smaller forms are 
most desirable for house culture, as they remain at a convenient 
size for years. Even in a small state, when clean and healthy, 
palms are very ornamental. Some have feather-veined leaves, 
long, graceful, arching ; in others, as in the common Fan palm, 
the leaves are palmately veined. 
Nearly all palms can be grown successfully in this country, 
but they require a warm temperature for quick development. 
In a dwelling-house they make but little growth during the 
winter months, and the plants should then be kept consider- 
ably dryer than during the extreme heat of summer, when lib- 
eral waterings are needed. 
This class of plants cannot be propagated in an apartment 
with any degree of success. Healthy specimens should be 
bought when desired, and if properly cared for will form per- 
