PALMS — P AND ANUS 



385 



abuse. Water is allowed to stand in the jardiniere, the plant is kept 

 in dark corners and hallways, the air is dry, and scale is allowed to 

 infest the leaves. If the plant begins to fail, the housewife is likely to 

 repot it or to give it more water, both of which may be wrong. The 

 addition of bone-meal or other fertilizer may be better than repotting. 

 Keep the plant in good light (but not in direct sunlight) as much as 

 possible. Sponge the leaves to remove dust and scale, using soapsuds. 

 When a new leaf begins to appear, add bone-meal to make it grow 

 vigorously. 



Among the best palms for house culture are arecas, Cocos Weddel- 

 liana, latania, kentia, howea, caryota, chamaerops, and phoenix. 

 Cycas may also be regarded as a palm. 



The date palm may be grown from seed of the common commercial 

 date. Seed of the other varieties may be purchased from leading seeds- 

 men; but, as the seed germinates only under favorable conditions, and 

 the palm is a very slow-growing plant while young, the best plan is to 

 purchase the plants from a dealer when wanted. When the plants 

 become w^eak or diseased, take them to a florist for treatment and re- 

 cuperation, or purchase new ones. Sometimes the florist places two or 

 three small palms in one pot, making a very satisfactory table piece for 

 two or three years. 



It is well to set the palms out of doors in the summer, plunging the 

 pots nearly or quite to the rim. Turn or lift the pots occasionally so 

 that the roots w^ill not strike through into the earth. Choose a par- 

 tially shaded place, where the hot sun will not strike them directly and 

 where the wind will not injure* them. 



Pandanus, or screw pine. — The screw pines are stiff-leaved saw- 

 edged plants often grown in window-gardens and used for porch deco- 

 ration. 



The Pandanus utilis and P. Veitchu (the latter striped-leaved or 

 white-leaved) are exceedingly ornamental, and are well adapted to 

 house culture. The singular habit of growth, bright glossy leaves, 

 and the ability to withstand the dust and shade of a dwelling room, 

 make them a desirable addition to the house collection. 



They are propagated by the offsets or young plants that grow around 

 the base of the trunk; or they may be increased by seed. If by the 

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