PALM CULTURE IN OUR HOMES. 



regular attention, I do not mean water- 

 ing or for that matter doing anything 

 else at stated intervals, except looking 

 your plants over at least once a day, to 

 see what attention they need. There 

 can be no stated time for watering 

 plants. The temperature of the rooms 

 may be higher one day than another, 



and easy as it is, it has proved a greater 

 stumbling block than anything else. 

 Constant soaking with water has ruined 

 many palms, and drying out has pro- 

 bably ruined as many more. When you 

 water do it thoioughly, using tepid water 

 if it is handy, and then watch your plant 

 until it shows signs of becoming dry, 



Fig. 1534. — Kentia Forsteriana. 



there may be more sunlight, the air 

 may be drier ; in fact, there are a variety 

 of causes, not easily traced, which make 

 it possible for a plant to lequire water 

 twice in two days at the beginning of a 

 week, and once in two days at the end 

 of it. To be able to determine whether 

 a palm needs water or not, is perhaps 

 the most essential thing in palm culture, 



before watering again. You can tell 

 this by the appearance of the earth in 

 the pot, by the feel of it, or perhaps 

 best of all, by the sound produced by 

 rapping the pot with the knuckles. To 

 become familiar -with this last method, 

 take a pot filled with earth and let it 

 become dry ; rap it sharply with the 

 knuckles and note the sound, then water 



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