ooms kept closed during winter. Beware of drafts
blowing across the plants, but provide plenty of fresh air.

In the spring as soon as it warms up outdoors--say after the apple
blossoms fall--plunge the palms outside, in a sheltered position, where
they can be given plenty of water. At this time, if they are not
repotted, bone meal should be worked into the surface of the soil and a
liquid manure of bone meal given once a month or so during the growing
season.

Both during winter and summer, _shower the leaves frequently_, with as
forceful a stream as possible, to prevent scale and mealy-bug getting a
start. (For treatment see page 135.) Keep the leaves and stems clean by
wiping off every once in a while with a soft cloth and soapy warm water,
syringing with clean water afterwards.

THE BEST HOUSE PALMS

Although the number of palms cultivated is very large, very few
indeed--only about a dozen--will give satisfactory results in the house.
The fact that a palm will live--or rather, takes a very long time to
die--under abuse, has misled people into thinking that they do not need
as much care as other house plants. This is a mistake.

Palms may be considered in two classes, the fan-leaved and the
feather-leaved, or deeply cut, sorts. Of the former there are but three
sorts good for house culture.

_Latania Borbonica_, the Chinese Fan-leaved palm, is the best known. It
is one of the hardiest, standing a temperature as low as forty-five
degrees at night. It is broad in habit, and the large leaves are deeply
cut and drooping at the edge, making a very attractive plant.

_Livistona rotundifolia_, the Miniature Fan palm, is a more compact type
of the above; not only the leaves but the whole plant being round in
habit and growing quite dense. It is a beautiful lively green in color,
and making a neater plant, is in many ways more desirable for the house
than _Latania Borbonica_. It requires more warmth, however, and should
be kept up to 55 degrees at night if possible.

_Chamaerops excelsa_ has the distinguished feature of forming shoots at
the base, thus having foliage where most palms are bare, and in old
specimens unattractively so. Its leaves are shaped like those of
_Borbonica_, but are smaller, and the leaf stalk in proportion is
longer. It is a good strong variety.

THE FEATHER-LEAVED PALMS

Many of these are of more recent introduction than the old favorite fan
palms, but they have won their way to a grow