126 THE CULTURE OF POT-PLANTS 



which turn to a rich crimson in autumn. When well grown 

 it is very effective in pots. The seed should be sown in 

 the greenhouse in March. 



Ophiopogon jaburan variegatum — Another Japanese 

 variegated plant, with striped grass-like foliage and blue 

 flowers ; see p. 41. 



Palm. — An extensive natural order containing many 

 different genera, mostly very ornamental, and requiring warm 

 greenhouse or stove treatment. One species, however, 

 Irachycarpus excelsa, is hardy enough to live in the open air 

 all the year round in Devonshire and Cornwall and in some 

 parts of Ireland ; some of the others can be grown in a 

 room ; and there are few, if any, that cannot be brought 

 into the house for a time during the summer. The strong, 

 hard leaves are better able to resist unfavourable conditions 

 than those of more delicate plants ; but if those conditions 

 are long continued, the tips wither and eventually the plants 

 may be killed. Among the most suitable species are Areca 

 Alicice, Cocos Wedde/lana, C. plinnosa, Kentia (or Howe a) 

 Fortunei^ Livistona chinensis^ Fhoaiix dactylifea (date palm), 

 P. redinata, P. mpicola, Seaforthia ekgans^ Trachycarpus excelsa^ 

 and T. Fortimei. 



For room decoration palms have one great advantage — 

 large specimens can be grown in comparatively small pots. 

 But in that case it is more than ever imperative that they 

 should be abundantly supplied with water in summer — even 

 in winter they should not be allowed to get dry, though, 

 of course, they should be drier — and that weak liquid manure 

 should be used at intervals, after the soil has been thoroughly 

 moistened, never while it is dry, for the liquid would not 

 then be dispersed about the whole pot, but would be confined 

 to the top layer, the roots in which might be injured. The 

 leaves should be kept quite clean. If palms are grown in 

 a room they should be put outside at least once a week 

 and thoroughly sprayed. If they are infested with scale, 

 red spider (the result of having been kept too dry), or any 

 other insect, they should be sponged with an insecticide 

 and afterwards sprayed with clean water. The roots are 



