The Canadian Horticulturist. 



'45 



PALMS FOR HOME DECORATION. 



Sir.— An article on the Cultivation of Palms would, I am sure, interest your readers. 

 for almost every house aspires to have one, and it is seldom that one sees in a horticultural 

 paper what soil they should have and whether they will bear exposure and sunshine. 



L. TL K., Collihgwood. 



SPHERE is very little difficulty in growing a few palms for house 

 decoration, and nothing is more suitable for that purpose, if the 

 proper varieties are procured. The following are rapid, easy 

 growers : Lantania Borbonica, Kentia Fosteriania, Areca Buneri. 

 Kentia Canterburyana, Seaforthia elegans, and some others. 

 The method now mostly adopted is to procure seeds from seeds- 

 men, but, as their vitality is of short duration, they can only be had at certain 

 times, and respectable seedsmen will not sell them unless they are fresh, and 

 the time of their production varies with the varieties. They are now 

 raised in such quantities in this way by nurserymen that it is scarcely worth 

 while to do it unless large quantities are wanted. I saw, a few days ago, five 

 nice plants sent by mail to a party for one dollar, in very fine condition. It 

 seeds are preferred, sow in nice friable loam with a fair amount of nice sand 

 intermixed. Drain your pot well, that no stagnant water may remain to sour 

 the soil. Keep them moist ; never allow them to become dry, or you cannot 

 expect success. Their cultivation is easy. Use a good yellow loam, if it can be 

 had, with a small proportion of well-rotted manure and some silver sand. Keep 

 the leaves well and often syringed, or washed with a sponge, to keep down 

 insects. The scale seems to be their greatest enemy. The sponge reaches 

 them best, and their destruction is easily accomplished, owing to the flat nature 

 of their leaves. In re-potting, never break their roots. They have a tendency 

 to root mostly in the bottom of the pot. If the roots are broken it will take 

 time for them to recover, and perhaps you may lose them entirely. 



Government Grounds, Ottawa N. Robertson. 



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