HARDY PALMS, 
To give a richness and _ dignified 
appearance to a garden there is nothing 
to compare with Palms. They kold their 
own anywhere in a garden, but especially 
attractive on lawns. Kentia Belmoreana 
is one of the choicest of the group and 
is generally found in almost any conser- 
vatory. ‘Some of the varieties are hardier 
than others, and it is those which can most 
uesist moderately cold weather that are :to 
Ge recommended. _A list published in a 
recent number of the “Citrograph” (a Cali- 
fornian peper) give some useful informa- 
tion as to.the sorts to be chosen. 
Areca Baneri (Seaforthia Robusta)—A 
yery hardy variety, with large handsome 
leaves, 
KENTIA BELMOREANA. 
Areca Lutescens—A species with yel- 
lowish green stems and palm-like glossy 
foliage ; will stand light frost only. 
Brahea Filamentosa, also’ known as 
Pritchandia filma and Washingtonia fili- 
fera. This is the hardy California fan palm, 
too well known to need description here. 
Tt is found .on:the Colorado desert, and has 
attained a height of 75 feet. A. fifty-year- 
old specimen in the City of Los Angeles is 
58 feet in height, and one in San«Bernar- 
dino 22 years.old:from the seed, measures 
32 feet: Itiis presumed thab with ‘careful 
cultivation these: palms’ will make a*much 
mora rapid growth, and a8 ‘vast: numbers 
have been planted in recent years ‘they 
will soon be very prominent features*in 
the Southern California. landscape. 
Chamaerops Canariensis 
Chamaeropa Excelsa--One, of the har- 
dies of fan palms, attaining a height of 
20. feet... Native to Southern Japan and 
China. ak EE 
Chamaerops Humiles—A dwarf fan 
palm, a native of Southern Europe. This 
‘THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER -- 
JuLy 15, 1903. 
ig said to be the variety from which the 
fan is made. 
Cocos Australis—A hardy palm from 
South America, with long, slender foliage. 
Corypha Australis—A fine variety from 
Australia, attaining a height of 100 feet: 
This will stand a faieatysicn Fei. 
‘Chamaerops Martiana—A fan palm from 
Nepaul. Often growing to a HeAAUE ‘of 
50 feet. 
Cocos Campestris—Quite hardy, and 
: valuable for outdoor decoration. , 
Moderately hardy, . 
Latania Barbonica 
bright, glossy green foliage, and one of the 
most popular palms in cultivation. 
* Plienix Dactylifewa—The date palm of 
commerce, quite commonly planted here. 
Phenix Canariensis—A fine hardy palm 
from the Canary Islands. 
Phenix Canariensis, 
Macrocarpa, Phe- 
nix Sylvestris, 
Phenix Tenuis, Phenix 
PHCENIX RECLINATA. 
Pumila, Phenix Reclinata are all varie- 
tics of date palms and hardy here. 
Sabel Adansoni—The dwarf palmetto of 
Florida. 
Sabel Palmetto—The cabbage palmetto 
from the gulf and Atlantic coast of the 
Southern States and Bermuda Islands, 
sometimes attaining a height of 90 feet. 
Washingtonia Robusta—Similar to the 
Califorinia palm, but more compact and 
dwarf. 
‘Brahea Glauca—A very ornamental 
fan palm from Mexico. Leaves bright 
green, glaucous beneath. ~ 
Brahea Edulis—A new and showy palm 
from Guadaloupe Island, 
The seeds need to be planted as soon as 
received, and if fresh they will germinate 
readily, and in one year’s time make plants 
ready for the ground. The most inex- 
perienced amateur can grow them’ with 
little trouble, and there seems to be'no 
reason why hardy palms of varied kinds 
should not adorn the streets, avenues, and 
homes of the settlement. 
~ two to five’ year old. 
SEEDS | WHICH SHOULD NOT BE 
; SOWN FRESH. ee 
aa 
(Fron the “ wedie Totooie 
'By Jutes. Rupoupn: » 
In a book published anonymously i in the 
year 1765 I find. the following passee 
about Stocks : 
“Many amateurs and professional gar- 
deners are certain that Stock (Giroflée) seed 
kept for five (5) or more years give a_ 
larger percentage of: doubles than fresher _ 
seed. Taking for granted that this is really 
a fact, the reason is that the seeds which 
can only produce single Stocks decay, los- , 
ing their germinating power sooner: than 
the others... So old seed will, in fact, pro- 
diice fewer- plants, but, of thes plants. pro- 
duced there will be a greater petcen ia of 
doubles.” ” : 
How far can we now Belieee this state- 
ment, made as long ago as 1765? Accord- 
ing to traditional belief it is better to use 
for some vegetables and flowers seeds from 
Why? = Old’ gar- 
deners say that new seeds produce plants 
less shapely, running more quickly to seed, 
and of such vigor. that they do not preserve 
all their true characteristics, while seeds. 
two or. three years old give more hape' y 
plants, with less tendency to run to, seed.. 
I belieye,in this, and will try, af possible, 
to explain it. 
All plants, or, i should say, Recee i 
them, have the power of reproducing tkem- 
s‘lves from seed, with their own, charac: 
israisstast but at the same time they are in- 
fluenced by atavism, which tries to make 
them revert to the specific types from 
which 'they came. Thus in the seed, of 
some varieties two forces struggle, the one 
tending to make them revert to the primi- 
tive type, the other tending to repreduce 
certain» acquired characters more or less 
fixed .by selection. It is possible that 
this atavistic force weakens with the age. 
of the seed, as also, that abnormal vigor 
which. makes certain plants run to sved if 
grown from seeds too fresh when sown. 
This is not the case with Stocks.’ If we 
admit that double flowering of these plants 
is 2 weakness of degeneration, it is easily 
believed that seeds some years old no lon- 
ger possess * their pristine vigor, and can 
produce a double flower instead of a single. 
’ We have here a ‘real transformation ofthe 
seed, a transformation’ which can ‘be allow- 
ed if we remember’that the less Stocks are 
‘let run wild the more ‘chance one: has -of 
obtaining double flowers. It is for this rea- 
son that | Stocks are grown in pots in Ger- 
many. © In this way a much larger per- 
‘centage of double flowers is‘obtained than 
‘in the“case of plants grown in the open. — 
Many growers prefer to use China Aster 
seed one or two years old, saying that’ by 
so doing they get more double flowers. But 
above all it is in the kitchen garden. that 
it is necessary to know whether to choose 
