Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-17
THE FAsHIONABLE PALM PLANT
Its Sensitiveness Described-Its Social
Service from the Greenhouse.

From the New York Mail and Express.
If you want to see fine lot Of palms you
should come in the early part Of the fall Then
we're getting ready for the winter campaign.
It's out of season now"
So said an old Scotch nurseryman up town.
who makes speciality of the fashionable palm.
But in spite of this he led the reporter through
two greenhouses completely filed with them.
In all there must have been several hundred of
the plants.
But there's one thing" suddenly said he.
that you're going to see now that YOU couldn't
see IN the fall, and that's the boarders' Yes,
the 'boardersn And he pointed to a palm
whereon was tied little wooden tag. On this
appeared fashionable name and address.
The lady has gone away for the summer" he
continued, In explanation, ''and while she ia
away her palm stays here. Oh, have MANY
plants to take care of for private parties"
You see" as he strolled along, most varie-
ties of the palm are very sensitive indeed. and
in private house their care is generally left
to the servants, and you know just what that
means. Now the temperature about one should
never be less than 60, somewhere between that
and so. and shouldn't vary much But a sery-
ant IN cleaning the room where palm is, with
out thinking about it, and in the winter too.
will open window right upon it. And then a
few days later l am asked: oh, what is the
matter with my palm? Its leaves are all turn
ing yellow
Beside this the palm needs good lot of
water to be poured on IL from above so that all
the leaves will be well wet. It's very seldom
that plant in private house gets good wet
ting. For, you see, 1t generally rests on a fine
carpet. But the business Is principally in the
renting out for balls and receptions. We deal
with the people direct and not with the caterer.
When an order is given We first visit the rooms
and study out just what plants will be needed
for the proper Arrangement That Won know
Is series OF groups, groups Of plants of all
sizes built downward from high center. The
cost Of the service varies q good deal. A fair
estimate on the whole would be from $50 to
SlO0. For some of the largest plants it is
worth from 80 to So apiece to Gull and arrange.
A good arrangement IN room of any size takes
at least fifty plants"
As spade is a spade,'so is palm palm,
but there are many different varieties. In gem
eral use Is the broad fan palm or .'litania. "
The most popular, ii is said, is the .'areca "
with Its long, thin, gracefully bending leaf
There is the raphis. with leaves spreading out
like fingers in its excellence, the most sought
slOO. The sage palm has different use from
the others With its broad, horny and plainly
visible stump 1t is not ornamental. II il the
funeral palm. Two Of its long. graceful leaves
are fastened together at the STEM where a
bunch OF roses is also placed. A..v' il thus
formed. signifyins victory" Other varieties
are very many.
For the most part palms are found in Brazil
and Mexico. Central America contributes Q
few China and Japan furnish the sago palm.
Outside OF their becoming fad of the social
world they are remarkable IN that they are the
only tropical plants in any way in use in the
north goodly number of them are never
imported into this country at all, but are raised
from seed IN one or the other Of the green
houses here.