November, 1911 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



and Ferns 



257 



The Decorative Use of^Palms 



A. V. Main, Almonts, Ont. . 



WHEN selecting house plants of an 

 evergreen nature and of the 

 most graceful and elegant form, 

 palms and ferns stand out pre-eminent- 

 ly. However lavish a mansion may be 

 in other adornments, plants of this ever- 

 green habit are indispensable. On the 

 other hand nothing is more disgusting 

 than half-dead, sickly plants. 



inch is ample, 

 inch, nine inch. 



Palms occupying eight 

 and ten inch pots are 

 permanently settled down, as it were, 

 and benefit from an annual top-dress- 

 ing in the spring. To do this remove 

 two inches of the surface soil and in its 

 place pack in some fresh compost. 



When in need of water the pot will 

 give out a clear sound when rapped on 



Street Improvement by the Windsor Horticultuial Society. 



IJwNo special care is required to keep 

 palms and ferns healthy and green, but 

 like most other things a few points must 

 be given attention. In their proper cul- 

 ture three factors are essential — suitable 

 soil, judicious watering, and cleanliness. 



Kentia Belmoreana is, possibly, the 

 best house plant. Others are Kentia 

 Forsteriana and the fan-leaved palm, 

 Lartania Borbonica. Cocos Weddelli- 

 ana has fine delicate foliage and is adapt- 

 able for a table plant, but it is rather 

 difficult to grow. Palms dislike root dis- 

 turbance, particularly when in their arti- 

 Ih in! homes. That warns us to have 

 .;ood drainage and soil, for a larger pot 

 is rarely needed before two years. Reck- 

 less potting and fine soil collected from, 

 well, any odd place is not good enough. 

 An excellent soil may be made from two 

 parts fibrous loam, one part of fibrous 

 peat, with sand and charcoal to shine 

 through it, and half a cup of bone meal 

 fertilizer. Mix thoroughly and you have 

 a good, lasting compost. 



When potting, use clean pots. Put 

 in several pieces of broken pots, slates, 

 or tile, and then some fibrous pieces of 

 sod. Next set in the plant, straight, 

 first removing the loose soil from it. 

 •Any unruly roots can be cut. Have the 

 brown base of the leaf stalk just clear of 

 the soil. Pack it firmly around the 

 plant, using a blunt stick for the pur- 

 pose. Avoid large pots. When repot- 

 ting, a change from a six inch to a seven 

 inch or from a seven inch to an eight 



the side. A vigorous plant in a warm 

 position will want water about every 

 second day. If the surface is fairly dry 

 and the weight of the pot light, it is 

 safe to give water. By attending 10 

 their daily wants you soon know when 

 water is wanted. 



One of the worst evils of palms is to 

 have the plant sitting in a jardiniere or 

 other ornamental dish. This water gets 

 sour and in time is absorbed by the 

 soil, much to the detriment of the plant. 

 Use a small block of wood or small pot 



inside the jardiniere for the pot to rest 

 on. This is applicable to all house 

 plants. The surplus water thus is clear 

 of the pot. It should be emptied out 

 periodically. The correct idea is to get 

 the water to pass through the pot 

 quickly. This necessitates the use of 

 drainage, charcoal, and judgment in 

 watering. 



Bone meal or raw crushed bone in the 

 soil is beneficial. It is a lasting man- 

 ure, which it is wise to use with slow 

 growing plants. Soluble manures are 

 practically lost on palms. We find a 

 weak solution of soft coal soot is the 

 best stimulant for green leaves. 



WASH THE PLANTS 



Dust settling on the leaves often re- 

 sults in a leaf turning yellow. A couple 

 of such leaves will disfigure a well- 

 balanced palm. At the least, the palm 

 requires a monthly wash or sponge, and 

 oftener if time permits. All sorts of 

 dirt will accumulate on the leaves, which 

 encourages the inse(-ts that feed on the 

 plant to its disfigurement. A small piece 

 of sulpho tobacco soap dissolved in tepid 

 water or ordinary soap makes a good 

 cleanser. Preventatives to insect life are 

 better than fighting them after their un- 

 welcome intrusion. 



Be sure and wet all parts with the 

 sponge on either side of the leaves, par- 

 ticularly the under side. Sprinkle or 

 SI. I ay with clean water after the use ol 

 the soap wash. Nothing benefits this 

 class of plants more than a wash and 

 spray overhead, especially in hot, arid 

 rooms. The large, graceful leaves ot 

 glossy green hue are suggestive of mois- 

 ture. 



Scale and red spider are the worst 

 enemies of palms. They gradually eat 

 the fibre and turn the leaf into splatchcs 

 of yellow. Persistent cleaning with soaf) 

 and water is the remedy, but remcmbei 

 that unhealthy conditions at the roots 

 give place to attacks of insects. 



A First Prize Lawn and Garden at Brantford. 



The home ot Mr. F. Simmona ia here shown which won first prize for a workingnia<n's lawn 

 and garden in the competition b«ld last year by the BranUtord Horticultural Society. 



