158 HOUSE PLANTS 



size and shape of the leaves, but there is not 

 enough difference between them to pay 

 anyone but a botanist in growing a large col- 

 lection of them. The only exception to 

 this is the Queen Victoria century plant 

 (^Agave Victorice-Regince). The leaves of this 

 are short and thick — so thick that sometimes 

 they appear to be three-sided — with three 

 more or less well-defined edges, having 

 white filaments. The ends of the leaves 

 are blunt but tipped with a short black spine. 

 So closely together and so regularly are the 

 leaves set that they form a hemispherical 

 mass. Where the room is limited this is the 

 best one to grow. 



Give century plants a sandy soil and pot 

 them firmly. If they are planted outdoors 

 during the summer, be sure they are in 

 sufficiently large pots so that when tak^n up 

 in the fall they will not need repotting. 



THE ALOES 



Next to century plants I believe that the 

 aloes are the most interesting. Although 

 there are a large number of species, only a 

 few are in general cultivation, the most com- 

 mon of which is the Barbadoes aloe (Aloe 



