FERNS AND PALMS. 



Fiu. 1687.— A Cluster of Palms. 



R. W. HUNT, gardener to 

 Mr. John Stuart, " Ingle- 

 wood " Hamilton, sends us 

 the accompanying photo- 

 graphs of plants shown at the Floral 

 exhibition. Two, says Mr. Hunt, are 

 Adiantum or Maidenhair, and the other 

 a large palm, growing in the conserva- 

 tory. According to Mr. Stuart, the 

 owner, the palm was 75 years of age 

 when he purchased the place, 26 years 

 ago. By estimating the first few years 

 growth, and the tiers of fronds since, I 

 make it over ninety years of age. The 

 following are some of the dimensions of 

 this palm (Cycas revoluta) ; height from 

 base to tip of leaves 10 ft. 4 inches; 

 circumference of trunk at base 3 ft. 6)^ 

 inches ; diameter of scales upon which 

 flowers and seed pods appear, 22 inches 

 when fully expanded ; the scales are 

 light brown in color and before expand- 

 ing resemble (in shape only) a monster 

 cabbage on the top of the stem (Fig. 



1688.) The length of a single frond is 

 five feet, and the width ten inches. 



Of the two 

 Maidenhairferns, 

 A. cuneatum is 

 the older form, 

 and was brought 

 from Brazil, 1^20; 

 it takes its name 

 from the cuneate 

 or wedge shaped 

 fronds of the low- 

 er pinnae at their 

 basej; it is a favor- 

 ite. The scale of 

 measurement i s 

 I ft. to the inch. 



Fig. I688.-FROND. The other fern, 



A.gracillinu m is a 

 form -of A. cuneatum, and is the most 

 delicate and charming of greenhouse 

 ferns. These plants do credit to the 

 gardener who grew them and to the artists 

 who made it possible for us to have such 

 good photographs. See cuts 1689-1690. 



447 



