52 JAMESTOWN CONGRESS OF HORTICULTURE 



until the seedlings are large enough for potting varying between six 

 and nine months, the practice being to sow the spores while fresh, as 

 some species lose their vitality by long keeping. 



The supply of spores is usually a home product, and requires the 

 exercise of judgment in gathering and preservation. Palm seeds are 

 almost entirely of foreign origin, the Howeas being brought from 

 Lord Howe's Island, Arecas from Brazil, Cocos Weddeliana from the 

 same country, Livistona chinensis is sometimes home grown and is 

 also sent from Cuba and South America, Phoenix is rather widely 

 spread, and Livistona rotundifolia is grown in Hawaii, though a native 

 further south. 



Ficus elastica and Ficus pandurata are both grown extensively in 

 the florists' trade, and both are admirably decorative for the dwelling, 

 besides being most enduring in foliage. 



Dracaenas in several species and varieties are also grown in quan- 

 tity, the brightly colored varieties being especially in favor at Christmas 

 time. 



Crotons in many varieties find a ready sale at the holidays, those 

 with high-colored leaves in which red, orange and yellow predominate 

 being quite largely used in window decorations and plant baskets at 

 that season. 



Pandanus Veitchii is still grown extensively, and is more used than 

 any other member of its family. 



The Dracaenas, Crotons and Pandanus are all heat-loving plants, 

 and with a rich soil and plenty of sun and moisture make rapid growth 

 and develop rich coloring. 



Brightly berried plants are in demand at Christmas, and for this 

 purpose those most in favor are Ardisia crenulata (some of which are 

 home grown, and some imported from Japan), and one or two species 

 of Solanums. 



Insects, and the means with which to fight them, are problems of 

 interest to the commercial plant grower, and while progress has been 

 made in this line, yet the perfect insecticide is still in the future. 



Probably the most satisfactory thus far are some of the nicotine 

 preparations, the results from these having been better than the various 

 soluble oil preparations. The latter are more likely to injure tender 

 foliage than the nicotine when carefully used, but the disadvantage of 

 the nicotine preparations is found in their high cost. 



In the matter of fertilizers, the progressive plant grower is also 

 frequently experimenting, for soils vary so greatly that it takes time 

 to find out the needs of each. 



In palm growing, the best commercial fertilizer is one that contains 

 a good proportion of phosphoric acid, but manures strong in nitrogen 

 are also used to some extent, though an excessive use of the latter 

 produces brittle stems and foliage. 



Among the other plants briefly noted in this paper various manures 

 are used, beginning with stable manure and running through bone dust, 

 dried blood, spent hops, soot, nitrate of soda and others. 



