CHAPTER XII 



Nine Iron-clad Palms 



The best graceful foliage plants that will successfully 

 withstand for long periods the variable temperature, 

 dust, and gas of the ordinary living room. 



Among the best all-round house plants, 

 of a purely decorative nature, are the palms. 

 In the sizes best adapted for house culture, 

 the stem is short, but from it arises a cluster 

 of long, slender, arching leaves v^hich are 

 bold and massive, yet, at the same time, 

 light and airy. One great advantage they 

 have over most plants is that they do not 

 need a large amount of direct sunlight; 

 in fact, the light of a north window is 

 sufficient. If for purposes of decoration 

 you wish to put them in a dark corner of 

 the room or in a hall, they can stay there 

 three or four days without injury; but they 

 must then be put back in the light to recu- 

 perate, for no gr^en plant can livq long 

 without light* 



