CHAPTER XV.
HARD-LEAVED PLANTS.
The plants that claim attention in this chapter have for several years past been rising in popular estimation, but as yet are not sufficiently understood as to their management, or appreciated as to their beauties. Being for the most part quiet in colour and slow in growth, they do not readily obtain a hold on the affections of amateurs, and only such as are amateurs indeed, and influenced by peculiar tastes, will ever become permanently interested in them. Their claims on our attention are many and strong. The more distinctive of them are strikingly tropical in aspect and present us with a majestic and masculine order of beauty. They are long lived, robust habited, and bear ill treatment as patiently as any plants known to cultivation. But ill treatment will not develope their proper characters, and the best treatment is of so simple a nature that it would be a shame anywhere and anyhow if a collection of these noble plants should be allowed to fall into decline through neglect or mismanagement.
The plants we have in view as “hard leaved” are Agaves, Beaucarneas, Dasylirions, Dracænas, Fourcroyas, Hechtias, Palms, and Yuccas. For the cool conservatory there is ample room for selection amongst these plants, but the amateur must be careful not to purchase for the cool house any species that require intermediate or prove temperature, for this mistake may be easily made in the case of palms and dracænas, some of the noblest of which are decidedly tender in constitution. A few notes on the cultivation of the several sections of this group will suffice for all practical purposes.
Agaves are usually classed with succulent plants, but this appears to us to be the proper place for them. The so-called “American aloe,” A. Americana, is the representative of the family, the members of which differ considerably in their
