FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
native decorative plants grow in pro¬ 
fusion, and our visitors pass these by 
without any particular attention or com¬ 
mendatory remark. We are growing 
here, also, quite abundantly, a plant 
known as Australian pine, although it is 
not a pine at all. It, however, in a way 
resembles that group of trees. It is a 
straight, ugly, sprawling tree that scarce¬ 
ly throws a shadow, and litters the 
ground with needles, and when it is done 
littering the ground with needles, it scat¬ 
ters the cones or burrs all over the 
ground. This tree, because of its want of 
decorative qualities, intrudes upon our 
vision constantly, and because it happens 
to be from Australia, it elicits many com¬ 
mendatory remarks. 
The Cabbage Palmetto has been used to 
some extent, but not at all sufficiently, as 
a decorative plant for avenues and for the 
home grounds. Sometimes transplanting 
has not proved successful, in other cases 
the transplanting has been uniformly so. 
It is one of the handsomest trees that can • 
be used for avenue planting. It will stand 
an unusual amount of abuse after it has 
once been established, and has been put to 
all sorts of purposes, such as a hitching 
post for horses, stringing telephone and 
telegraph wires, and various other 
barbarisms that might be perpetrated 
upon it. Properly cared for it casts a 
very delightful shade and is always green. 
Trees of this species can be obtained 
everywhere in the state of Florida. The 
most certain way of transplanting them is 
to prepare for transplanting six months or 
a year in advance. The tree being chosen 
that is to be transplanted, the laborer is in¬ 
structed to cut away all the roots on one 
side of it, so as to sever about one-half 
of them, permitting those on the other 
side to remain unharmed. In the course 
77 ‘ 
of six months numerous new roots will be 
formed on the side where the old ones 
have been cut. Those on the other side 
may then be cut, and the tree transplant¬ 
ed. At the time of transplanting it is well 
to remove all of the foliage, leaving only 
the bud leaves. 
The best size for setting out is one with 
a trunk only a few feet tall. A great many 
cities and individuals make the mistake of 
transplanting trees that have a trunk of 
twelve or fourteen feet. When this is 
done the tree has become pretty well set in 
its habits, and it fails to produce as fine a 
top as a small tree would. When a small 
one is planted it adapts itself to the sur¬ 
roundings^ much more quicklj, and large 
leaves and longer petioles are produced. 
In preparing the place for one of these 
trees it is well to use as much well rotted 
compost as your conscience will permit, 
and then have some one else come and 
add as much more. 
George Wa^ington Palm {Neozvashr- 
ingtonia Mifera.) —This palm is known 
by various common names other than the 
one given above. Among them are Cali¬ 
fornia Thread Palm, Weeping Palm, etc. 
Even scientifically it is not always call¬ 
ed by the same name. In nurserymen’s 
catalogues it is usually listed as Prichardia 
dlifera. Bailey’s Cyclopedia calls it 
Washingtonia illifera. It is a native of 
California, where it is one of the most 
striking and characteristic of trees. In 
Florida it grows remarkably well for an 
introduced species. It is especially desir¬ 
able from the fact that it will stand severe 
cold. Fine specimens of this species may 
be seen in Charleston, S. C., and in New 
Orleans, La. It, therefore, goes without 
questioning that it will survive any degree 
of cold which may be experienced in our 
state. 
