152 



PALMS, FOR HOME ADORNHENT. 



NO collection of plants is complete without Palms. 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, 

 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 

 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 wet, 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 lor 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. An\ soil musl 



have fairly good exposure to light to prevent it from becoming 



sour. Light not only assists evaporation, but has in it health- 

 giving qudities 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 I'alms 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, remove 

 them from the shaded place. 



Khntia Belmorhana 



been assigned, and give them all the light possible. 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 for a 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 

 is a mistake. Let them alone as 

 long as they are doing well. Thev 

 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 specimtn 

 is lost by repotting when it did 

 not need it. 



W hen 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. 

 Ii will almost always be found on the under side of the leal. 

 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, chaff} 

 appearance, and will be found most plentiful along the midrib ol 

 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 vigorously 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 

 ii to all parts of the plant where any scale is to be seen. It is a 

 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 il. This will almost always remove the scale, whose hold 

 will be loosened under tin- effect of the application. After 

 spraying or washing a plant, shower it with clear water. ^X" 

 Palm will long remain healthy, or look well, alter being at- 

 tacked by -cale. 1 am a thorough believer in tin' theory thai 



prevention i- better than cure; therefore, 1 would advise lakmg 



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 thev have established themselves 



Read the Miscellaneous Hints and Suggestions for Amateur Florists on pages 115 and 116. 



