PALMS 107 
manent additions to a collection of plants. The leaves should 
be kept clean by means of sponging and washing. 
Palms require rich, fibrous soil, and plenty of water; they 
can, however, remain in comparatively small pots for years, 
Areca lutescens. 
and will, under certain conditions, grow and flourish with ap- 
parently no sustenance except water. In re-potting palms the 
roots should not be disturbed or torn, or buried in too great a 
mass of soil. The drainage must be good, and for small and 
tender species pieces of broken charcoal mixed with the soil 
is beneficial. Large palms may be left undisturbed for years, 
provided the top soil is occasionally replaced by new and very 
