FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
197 
neglect. It grows rapidly, if not quite 
as rapidly as the first tree spoken of. 
It grows to most magnificent propor¬ 
tions. In our experience with a number 
of them, we have discovered that those 
planted close in on the south side" of a 
building will grow twice as large, much 
more elegant in form, and with a more 
beautiful tint of green to their leaves, 
than those that were given a northern, 
open, and more exposed location. It 
may merely be a coincidence or be a 
proof, that they are sensitive, to even 
such slight climatic changes as we have 
in South Florida, and should therefore 
be on the south side of, and reasonably 
close to, a building. 
Ladies will not have to be reminded 
that it is from the beautiful white bloom 
of this tree that a very rich and deli¬ 
cious perfume is made. In our experi¬ 
ence we regret to say that while we 
have had all desired results in the grow¬ 
ing of the trees, they have not begun to 
bloom anywhere nearly as much as bot¬ 
anists and travelers inform us they do 
in their native habitat. 
Another tree which bears a great 
number of attractive bell-shaped white 
flowers, is, we know, an Oroxylum, and 
believe it to be the Oroxylum Flavam. 
To those who live in rocky portions of 
Florida it may be of interest to know 
that the specimens we have were plant¬ 
ed out in a piece of ground, where the 
rock had never been removed, where 
the soil was all rock, where a hole large 
enough to hold the roots of the young 
tree had literally to be chipped out with 
a pick. The writer particularly remem¬ 
bers, for the day was hot and the “pick¬ 
ing” was long, and he did the pick 
work. Planted, given some water every 
day for three weeks, watered three 
times a week for a couple of months, 
and then left. 
NOTES FROM THE HOTEL ROYAL PALM 
GARDENS, MIAMI, FLORIDA. 
For years we have had a c( Bomb ax 
Ceiba” (silk cotton tree) planted on the 
edge of a walk on one of our lawns in a 
location where it is largely protected 
from winds, and the benefit of all sun 
and air. Its light colored, almost whit¬ 
ish body, has grown into a somewhat 
twisted, gnarled form, and, while of re¬ 
cent years the tree has grown an en¬ 
larged body, it has the deficiency of be¬ 
ing somewhat too dwarfish. Like most 
all of its kind it has the misfortune to 
be almost entirely without leaves dur¬ 
ing the winter, a misfortune in a tree 
located in the grounds of a winter re¬ 
sort where people “foregather” from 
everywhere and where a large per cent- 
age of the strangers are as anxious to 
see all trees at their best, as we are 
anxious to have all our trees appear at 
their best. This silk cotton tree of 
which I speak, has this year commenced 
to bloom, the few 6 or 8 red blooms, 
stuck close to the main body or limbs, 
devoid of leaves, creating much interest. 
And here is the great expectation we 
have, that, like its great tall, naked 
neighbor in an adjoining property, it 
may in the future bloom so prolifically, 
and so long during the season, to make 
it as marked, as popular, as much dis¬ 
cussed curiosity as its large neighbor. 
A hurricane a few years ago blew down 
