E57 GARDEN e- GREENHOUSE PLANTS |[]T 
PALMS, FOR HOME ADORNIIENT. 
Their bold, majestic yet graceful foliage lends a grandeur and magnificence 
that cannot be obtained by any other class of plants, and no decoration, whether in the conservatory, hall or sitting-room, 
N O collection of plants is complete without Palms, 
is complete without them. 
Our facilities for producing this class of stock are the most complete in the country, 35 of our 
largest houses—over three acres of greenhouse structure—being devoted to them alone, enabling us to supply all the 
leading and popular sorts at the most reasonable prices. 
PALM CULTURE, written expressly for this book by Eben E, Rexford: 
“In nearly every instance failure with the Palm is not the fault , assigned, and give them all the light possible. 
of the plant, but the result of lack of proper treatment. 
Most varieties of the Palm—all, in fact, that are adapted to 
house-culture, so far as my knowledge goes—do well in a soil of 
garden loam made friable by the addition of sharp sand. The 
very best of drainage should be given. If it is not, the soil is 
likely to become heavy, and, after a little, sour, and this will 
bring on a diseased condition of the roots, which will make itself 
apparent in yellowing foliage and the imperfect development of 
new leaves. The importance of giving the plant the very best 
of drainage will be better understood when one takes into con- 
sideration the fact that most Palms are kept at some distance 
from the light a good deal of the time, and under conditions 
unfavorable to the free evaporation of moisture from the soil. 
Most plants, too, are kept standing 
in jardinieres, and these assist in 
keeping the soil unduly moist— 
really zef, in fact. Often plants 
are ruined by allowing water to 
collect in the jardiniere until it 
comes well up about the pot. 
Palms are not aquatics, and refuse 
to flourish when treated as such. 
If you use a jardiniere, always put 
something under the pot to keep it 
out of the water that runs through 
it. Make it a point to empty the 
jardiniere two or three times a 
week. If this were done regularly 
a great many Palm failures might 
be prevented. 
Another cause of trouble is— 
poor methods of watering. Some 
persons apply water daily, without 
regard to the condition of the soil. 
The consequence is, that the plant 
gets a good deal more water than 
it needs, and soon its roots become 
diseased. Others go on the ‘little- 
and-often’ plan. That is, they 
apply a small quantity of water 
every time they happen to think of 
it. The result is—the surface is 
kept moist, while below that the 
soil may be dry. ‘These represent 
the extremes of watering. Between them is the ‘happy medium,’ 
by which the soil is kept moist, but never allowed to become like 
mud. 
We are often asked to give a rule for watering plants for the 
benefit of the amateur. There can be no hard-and-fast rule be- 
cause conditions differ so widely, but it is always safe to wait 
until the surface of the soil has a dry appearance. Then apply 
enough water to thoroughly saturate all the soil in the pot, after 
which wait until the surface takes on a dry look again before 
applying more. This rule, if rule it can be called, is one that 
applies to all plants except such as are of aquatic habit. 
Because of their decorative qualities Palms, as I have already 
said, are often used at some distance from the light. If kept 
standing in dim halls, or in the dark corners of a room, they soon 
suffer. Not so much from lack of light, perhaps, as from the 
effect that lack of strong light has on the soil. Any soil must 
have fairly good exposure to light to prevent it from becoming 
sour. Light not ouly assists evaporation, but has in it health- 
giving qualities which are essential to the well-being of all plants 
as exerted through the medium of the soil, as well as upon the 
foliage. No plant can long remain healthy if kept away from 
it. Therefore, if you want your Palms ‘to do well keep them 
near the glass most of the time. As soon as they are no longer 
needed for decorative purposes at your social functions, re- 
move them from the shaded place to which they have been 
| 
i 
KentrA BetMorgana. 
They do not 
need sunshine. 
When a new leaf appears, apply some good fertilizer to assist 
it to perfect development. I frequently receive complaints that 
some leaves have short stalks, and am asked why they do not 
lengthen like those on the plant when it was bought. Nine 
times out of ten it is because the plant requires feeding at this 
growing period. Bonemeal is about the best all-around fertili- 
zer I know of for this class of plants. If it is used whenever a 
new leaf shows its spike, and the plant is properly cared for in 
other respects, there ought to be no failures in leaf-development. 
A heaping tablespoonful to each seven or eight-inch pot, at such 
a time, will generally be sufficient. Dig it in well about the 
roots. It generally takes some months fora leaf to fully develop, 
and the plant requires feeding 
during the entire period. 
Some persons seem to labor un- 
der the impression that it is abso- 
lutely necessary to repot their 
Palms once a year, at least. This 
isa mistake. Let them alone as 
long as they are doing well. They 
do not like to have their roots in- 
terfered with. Nutriment can be 
supplied quite as effectively by 
means of fertilizers as by giving 
fresh soil. Many a fine specimen 
is lost by repotting when it did 
not need it. 
When repotting must be done, 
disturb the roots as little as possi- 
ble. Never shake the soil off them 
as some advise. Simply lift the 
plant out of its old pot and set it 
in the new one, and fill in about 
it with fresh soil, which can be set- 
tled by watering well. Palms do 
not require large pots if they are 
well fed. 
They should be showered—not 
simply sprinkled —two or three 
times a week to keep them clean 
and prevent the red spider from 
injuring them. 
Scale often attacks the Palm. 
It will almost always be found on the under side of the leaf. 
One kind is of considerable size and substance, looking as much 
like a blister as anything I can think of to compare it to. An- 
other—the commonest variety—has a thin, grayish white, chaffly 
appearance, and will be found most plentiful along the midrib of 
the leaflet, and between the stalk and leaves where the latter 
separates from the bulbous base of the plant. My remedy for 
scale is this: One pound good laundry soap and one teacupful of 
kerosene. Melt the soap, and while it is hot add the kerosene. 
Stir vigcrously until a perfect emulsion takes place. Use one 
part of this to ten parts water. Spray the affected portions of 
the plant with it, or apply it with a soft brush, being sure to get 
it to all parts of the plant where any scale is to be seen. It isa 
good plan to go over the entire plant, leaflet by leaflet, applying 
the mixture with a sponge or soft cloth. Take a leaflet between 
thumb and finger and draw the cloth or sponge the entire length 
of it. This will almost always remove the scale, whose hold 
will be loosened under the effect of the application. After 
spraying or washing a plant, shower it with clear water. No 
Palm will long remain healthy, or iook well, after being at- 
tacked by scale. I ama thorough %enever in the theory that 
prevention is better than cure; therefore, I would advise taking 
measures to keep it away from one’s plants by the frequent use 
of the emulsion. It is easier to do this than it is to get rid of 
them after they have established themselves 
Read the Miscellaneous Hints and Suggestions for Amateur Florists on page 115. 
