Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-17
VALUE OF FOLIAGE PLANTS
NO MORE BEAUTIFUL. DECORATION
CAN BE FOUND.
Palms and Ferns Can he Bought To
Suit All Purses Varieties
and Care Needed.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
The beauty Of a fine. wide-leafed palm or
fern. growing. or at least seeming to grow,
in the very midst of a well-ordered house
is each season becoming more generally
recognized.
Artificial flowers for indoor decoration
now look so much like the real thing that
often the eye Of the trained botanist Is de-
ceived when examining the plant from q
distance.
The artificial flowers, roses. margueritee,
carnations. chrysanthemums. etc. are all
manufactured to look SO much like genuine
garden or hot house blossoms that for
very reasonable sum any lady may have
her boudoir aboom all winter. The cost
of the best artificial plants. while a trifle
high in comparison with the natural ones.
is not so great when II is remembered that
the artificial plant needs no care and will
be just as fresh and blooming year from
the day it is bought as on the day that 1t
comes into the house. There are few things
in life without compensations, and the ar
titicial plant owner receives large need
of these.
Real palms are much cheaper
than they used to be that any wage-earner
may own one or more. No house is nova
days considered furnished without palms.
The prices range from 30 cents for the very
small. young plant to many dollars for
ago there was small demand for foliage
plants for house decoration Now every
one wants them. and thousands are raised
by the nurserymen where a few were once
grown.
The Popular Varieties.
| Among the popular varieties are the ken
| tias. arecas, phenix, rhapis. yuccas, Pan
| danus latanias. seaforthias, curculigos, as
| pidstras. dracaenas, Latania crotons, ferns
and rubber trees.
| The Areca lutescens Is one of the most
useful palms. 1t has wide, feathery
| frond. The plant makes handsome house
| decoration. plant three to three and
| half feet high will cost about S.. Smaller
| ones are worth about 81 each.
The Cocos weddeliane Ia another palm
| that is popular for drawing room use. 1t
| is slender and graceful and In good jar
dniere makes handsome decoration for
the center of the table
| The Dracaena indivsa sometimes called
the fountain planD has long. slender leaves
| that radiate from a common stem. 1t COM
| bines well with other plants In decoration
| The current prices range from 30 cents to
several dollars apiece.
There are many varieties OF the pam
| danus used in decorating. All very use
| full although they vary much In size and
| value. They have wide. ribbon-like leaves
| that unsheath themselves from common
center. The PandanuS veitchii and the
| Pandanus utilis are best adapted to house
| hole growing.
| The Fan Palm.
| The fan palm dts technical name is La
| tania borbonica) is one Of the best-known
| household plants. Its dropping fronds, with
| clusters of close leaves at the ends OF the
stems, probably suggested its name.
| The kentias are easy to cultivate. They
| are reasonable In price and grow well. They
| have the long, ribbon-like leaves grouped
along the stem of the plant.
| he (('ycaS
| recommended for indoor use Its long, dark
| green fronds little affected by dust,
| cold or gas. The umbrella plant CyperuS
| alterniflorius) has many admirers of its
sturdy beauties
OF ferns. the Boston fern CNephrolepis
eXalta BostonienSis) is the one most COM
monty adopted for household decoration.
| In handsome jardiniere it make a fine or
nament for the center of the dinner table.
| A great deal Of the beauty of the palm
and fern grown indoors is dependent on
| constant attention. Most persons do not
| give them regular care, and their plants
| look scraggy and sickly. few minutes
| every morning should be devoted to them.
Things to Know.
| If you will look at the root Of almost any
| palm, it will be noticed that the rising stem
| has the leaves attached to 1t In odd
way, reminding one of bulb. This part of
the palm supplies 1t with nutrment and
should be covered with only a thin layer
| of soil.
To tell If the plant needs water give a
sharp tap to the pot in which 1T is growing.
| If this gives out a hollow ring, water is
needed. If. on the contrary, a dull sound
| is the response, it has plenty of moisture
| in the soil. The quantity of moisture in
the earth may also be judged by lifting the
| pot. 1t is useless to merely moisten the
earth on top. This will only leave the
deeper roots dry. Always see that the
| water runs through the earth, trickling out
| into the dish through the hole in the bot
tom of the pot. The water before being
! put should be warmed to about the tenn
| perature of the room in which the plant
| stands
Once every week the surfaces of the
| leaves should be sponged Off Gloves
should be worn when this operation is per-
| formed. as contact with the hand turns
the edges of the leaves yellow.
Wipe Leaves Dry.
Palms should not be watered from above
| unless they are Immediately wiped off.
as each drop of moisture allowed to stand
on the leaf causes it to turn yellow. When
a room is swept busted the plants
| should be covered, the dust will other
| wise settled on the leaves and clog the
pores. through which the plant breathes.
| Most palms and ferns do not like gaslight,
| and often when left in an atmosphere
charged with 1t will droop. The windows
should be opened and the room well aired
| twice a day. The plants should be turned
each udy, So ludl one sue alter an
| other is exposed to the light the leaves
will naturally grow out toward the sun
| light.
| 1t is not difficult to learn how to care
| for palms. Nothing adds more to the pic
| tlHesque appearance of a sitting room, Ii
brary or drawing room than tall. feath-
| cry fern and stately palm in handsome
| jar small table in the window or at
| the entrance. They serve to brighten
many room in a very effective way.
Women who own handsome lot of indoor
plants may be their own decorators for
small teas or dinners.
Not Recivilized Yet.