THE CARE OF PALMS 



cessful cultivator of plants must keep her eyes 

 open, and study her plants as she does her 

 children. 



Palms should be showered at least once a 

 week. It is a good plan to take them into the 

 bathroom, lay them down on their side, and 

 spray them so thoroughly that every portion 

 is washed as clean as it would be if they were 

 exposed to a summer shower. This keeps the 

 dust from accumulating on them to close the 

 pores of the leaves, thus interfering with their 

 breathing as well as making them unsightly. 

 It also keeps the red spider down. This little 

 insect is that little that it hardly seems possible . 

 that he could do much harm, but he is more 

 destructive than all other insects combined. 

 He delights in the hot, dry atmosphere which 

 characterizes the modern living-room. Moist- 

 ure he does not like, hence the value of the 

 shower-bath in waging warfare against him. 

 Always keep water evaporating in the room. 

 Use the hand-atomizer on your plants daily. 

 Depend entirely upon moisture in fighting this 

 pest. Tobacco teas and insecticides of all 

 kinds are useless except in so far as they impart 

 the moisture, which is more satisfactory if 

 obtained from clear water. If it is not conven- 



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