CHAPTER IV. 



PALMS NAKHLA. 



THE value of palms ' can hardly be over estimated, 

 their varied forms, the graceful character of their foliage, 

 and the tropical effect they impart, either in groups 

 or as isolated specimens, cannot fail to make them 

 popular. 



With several of the commoner varieties a considerable 

 amount of their beauty is lost when they attain a certain 

 height, by the lower portion of their foliage alone being 

 seen ; still, to many who are familiar with them only 

 as small specimens in pots, a tall stately palm will 

 always prove an object of admiration, and their cool 

 and pleasing appearance when in health, together with 

 their easy culture, will amply repay the little care 

 that is necessary to bestow upon them. 



The majority of the ornamental varieties bear seed 

 freely, and are therefore easily propagated by sowing 

 the seed in the spring or the autumn. Some of the 

 species take a considerable time to germinate, and 

 strict attention should be paid to draining the pots 

 or pans, as sourness of the soil is fatal to the young 

 seedlings. With large specimens in the open ground 

 too much water will often cause the foliage to turn 

 yellow, especially in sandy soil, while dryness and 

 cold winds are equally ruinous to the foliage. 



Palms, unlike many other plants, if kept without 

 water do not show the ill-effects at once, but in a 



