KENTIA PALMS 45 



yellow and red cannas ; a plant that we raved over 

 five years ago, with flowers 6 inches across; but 

 which grows and increases at such an enormous 

 rate, that it is now considered common, and a great 

 deal has to be rooted up and thrown away. I have 

 planted a long row of them this year by the old 

 pond ; scarlet, orange, and pink ; which I hope will 

 bloom well in the rains, as it is distinctly comfort- 

 able to be able to go and cut armfuls of them from 

 the back-ground without robbing the front lawns, 

 when sending flowers to the hospital. 



In the afternoon the shade is best along by the 

 west wall, under the Casuarinas and Cork and 

 Almond trees ; beneath which we planted a row of 

 Kentia palms eight years ago, out of their 6-inch 

 pots. These are now 15 feet high, some of them ; 

 and form shade the whole day, instead of in the 

 afternoon only ; because the fronds almost meet 

 overhead with those of some Livistonias on the 

 other side of the path, now grown to an enormous 

 size from small table plants. High up above these, 

 hanging in masses to the Casuarinas, are the purple 

 Bougainvillia and French grey Thunbergia creepers ; 

 and clinging close to the bark, is the curious cactus, 



