298 



PALMS. 



fringing tlie Gulf. They appear again in abundance in 

 tlie Eastern Archipelago^ they form impenetrable forests in 

 tropical Africa^ they occur frequently in North Australia 

 and the Pacific Isles^, and flourish^ in fact, in almost every 

 torrid country, gradually dying out towards the Poles, 

 but going a little further north than south, and ascending 

 nearly up to the snow line in Asia. "We have in northern 

 and temperate regions our gay dwarf meadow flowers set in 

 the sweetest grass; our Oaks and Ashes and graceful 

 Birches ; and our Firs, which are among the finest and 

 most majestic subjects of the vegetable kingdom. We 

 have our exquisite alpine vegetation, confessedly inferior to 

 none ; but we have not a trace of the noblest of all plants 

 as regards form, the Palms. They are therefore more 

 worthy of being grown artificially than numerous other 

 exotics, which though requiring as much or more heat than 

 Palms are by no means so distinct from all northern types 

 of vegetation. There are few of us who have not read of their 

 grace and magnificence in the Indian isles or Amazonian 

 forests ; but the rather humiliating fact remains that in our 

 practical horticulture they are almost unknown. From an 

 ornamental point of view, it is not easy to over-estimate the 

 loss this is to high gardening. A perfect idea of what they 

 are capable of doing for us can hardly be obtained until 

 small, well-grown specimens of the most elegant kinds are 

 seen in abundance at our flower shows and in our plant 

 houses. 



In this particular respect we are behind the Belgians 

 and the French who, long ago, recognised the superiority 

 of Palms, now cultivate them by thousands, and employ 

 them for every purpose of plant decoration in rooms 

 either permanently or for special occasions, in green- 

 houses, stoves, and for the open garden in summer. 

 Nurseries like Chantin's at Paris, and VerschafFelt's at 

 Ghent, have house after house filled with Palms, in great 

 variety, some very rare and dear, many cheap enough for 

 the purse of the poor window gardener. It should be 

 also noted that they cannot be propagated in quantity 

 and with rapidity like many popular plants, so that the 



