30 ORNAMENTAL GARDENING 



once. But if while they are in the ground a norther of several 

 days' duration occurs or an extended cold spell such as we some- 

 times have anywhere in Florida, these seeds are very sure to rot, 

 unless one can keep them in a warm place. In planting palm 

 seeds, if one can spare pots long enough it is an excellent idea to 

 put a single seed in each pot and set them thickly in sand or 

 earth on the benches. This is for the reason that the palms 

 form long, hard and brittle tap roots and if planted in open 

 earth they are difficult to transplant. 



On. 



ANOTHER FLORIDA PLANT HOUSE. 



This design requires less space than the preceding one, and is quite sufficient for those who 

 are working only with potted plants. Some sort of a plant house is almost a necessity, if 

 one is to enjoy the full possibilities of Florida for the propagation of tender plants. (Fig. 6) 



I like to grow plants to a considerable size before putting them 

 out in the open ground. Plants in from four- to six-inch pots are 

 much better fitted to withstand the hardships of their first year 

 in the open ground than those from smaller sizes. A large num- 

 ber of the plants which we grow in this region may be propagated 

 from cuttings and this is especially true of the herbaceous and soft 

 wooded kinds. Shrubs and trees having very hard wood rarely 

 root from cuttings with us. I have the best success with the 

 woody forms by taking not quite ripened shoots and cutting them 

 into lengths from eight inches to a foot long. These I set in the 



