Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-11
PALMS FOR THE PARLOR.
rheir Use for Decorative Purposes I'm
Dwelling Houses is RapfdIv Gro,x,r~


dwelling Houses is Rapidly Growing.
Palms are rapidly growing more popular
.or the decoration of houses" said a leading
horist yesterday to a writer for The Star.
NO drawing room nowadays is considered
complete without the adornment which they
| reno. The fashion has long held in London
ana elsewhere abroad, but only Of late has
IL obtained vogue this side of the water.
Nearly every dwelling on upper 9Th avenue
In new York. is furnished this winter with
palms, which are as much a matter of
course IN the ornamental way as the pic
lures on the walls.
In connection with this fashion a new
business has grown up-namely, the rent
ing out Of palms by the season. You can
nire a dozen fine large trees for the winter
Ior sSoo or $500, care included. This means
mat the florist looks out for them and keeps
'hein IN proper condition. Every morning a
man calls at your house and gives them the
attention they require in the way of water
ing ana what not AS fast as they get
rusty or unhealthy, they are removed and
Others are put in their places
fou see. palms will not long retain their
ieath IN dwelling house. The atmos-
pheric conditions are not suitable. and after
snort time they begin to wilt The grower
takes them back to his hot houses and re-
stores them. Thus. in order to keep a dozen
Trees running in proper shape fully twice
that number are required They remain the
property OF the florist but for the sum 7
nave mentioned a suite of parlors like those
OF CorcoSan house may be kept beautiful
with tropic vegetation from autumn until
spring. That is the way Senator Brice pro-
cures his palms.
In London.
and caring for palms has assumed an ex-
tensive development. They are away ahead
OF America in the art Of decorating with
potted plants. though we are far in advance
OF them in respect to cut flowers. The
palms which they use for such purposes are
grown slowly in green houses kept at a very
moderate temperature, in order that they
| may be hardy and may thus withstand bet
ter the unfavorabIe conditions to which
they are exposed in dwellings
But the Americans want to DO every
thing at the most rapid possible rate They
force the palms in hot houses which they
raise to an unnatural pitch of temperature,
| 50 as to make the plants grow fast. 1t is
| amazing what they accomplish by such
means. actually producing four years
| growth in one year. OF course, the species
selected for indoor decoration are mostly
| subtropical being better adapted for en-
during low temperature than the tropical
kinds. But they are forced in green houses
| where great furnaces are kept going all
| summer as well as winter and the air is so
hot and laden with moisture that one can
| hardly breathe it.
Beautiful, but Not Hardy.
THE palms grown in this manner have
| not the hardness and toughness of those
developed in natural way. They are sold
by the growers to dealers who readily dis
pose of them, because they are beautiful to
| the eye. But, once out Of the hot house.
they will not last any time at all;
| they quickly sicken. owing to their extreme
| delicacy. The hotels in New York and
other cities, by the way, are utilizing palms
| largely for decoration. One of the chief
beauties of the new Hotel Waldorf is a
! great court that is surrounded by these
| trees.
! Palms are propagated In green houses to
| some extent from seeds. The latter are ex-
! tremely hard and are soaked in water for as
much as a month sometimes. Hot water
| not too hot, of course-is often used for the
| purpose. When they have sprouted, they
| are planted. But most of the palms which
supply the market are raised on plantations
in milder climates and imported into this
| country when about a foot high. Some
| come from Bermuda and many from Brazil,
but Trinidad is great source of supply.
They are cultivated in fields, planted in
rows. and are dug up and shipped as soon
| as they are big enough"