THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



45 



dug deep, with plenty of manure worked 

 in. Here is a plant that the coachman 

 can water to his heart s content. I 

 mentioned a bulb the size of a base ball, 

 but that is the largest useful size. Tu 

 bers that are one and three-quarters to 

 two inches in diameter are large enough 

 to make fine plants for summer use. 



We hear that the tubers of this cala- 

 dium are cooked and eaten in the south. 

 Its name implies that it is edible and its 

 other name is Colocasia esculentum. 



CALAMUS. 



The rattan palms, or calamus, include 

 twenty or more species of slender grow- 



vided pinnate leaves. The leaves of this 

 species are light green, the pinnae nar 

 row and arranged very closely on the 

 stem, and the foliage is rather soft to 

 the touch, owing to its being covered 

 with short, hairlike bristles. 



C. ciliaris is essentially a warm house 

 palm, flourishing in a temperature of 70 

 to 75 degrees, with abundant moisture, 

 its tropical jungle habitat giving us 

 some idea as to its cultural wants. 



The leaves of this species being rather 

 thin in texture, it is liable to attacks 

 of red spider unless freely syringed and 

 watered, but when well grown is very 

 attractive and, while not adapted for 

 all trade purposes, is a valuable and 



Calamus Ciliaris. 



ing and very graceful palms that are 

 found in a wild state in various parts of 

 the tropics, chiefly in India or the East 

 Indies. 



Some of the species become climbers 

 in their native country and are said to 

 attain a length of stem of 200 to 300 

 feet and to trail over tne tops of forest 

 trees in Java and Borneo, but the sub 

 ject of our illustration is one of the 

 smaller growing species and not likeiy 

 to outgrow its accommodations for a 

 period of several years at least. 



Calamus ciliaris is a particularly 

 graceful palm in a young state, having 

 a slender, reedlike stem and finely di- 



effective plant for many special occa 

 sions. C. ciliaris suckers freely around 

 the base and by careful handling these 

 suckers may be removed and established, 

 but it is necessary to keep them rather 

 close and warm for a time in order to 

 encourage the new roots, and also to be 

 careful that they are not allowed to get 

 too dry. W. H. T. 



CALCEOLARIA. 



There are few more attractive and 

 showy greenhouse flowers than the cal 

 ceolaria, and although useless as a cut 

 flower it is of great value as a green 



house decorative plant, or as a window 

 plant, lasting fully as long as a cine 

 raria and many other of our popular 

 flowers. There are several species, both 

 of the herbaceous and shrubby sections, 

 nearly all from the west coast of South 

 America and at a good elevation, for 

 calceolarias dislike great heat at any 

 time of their growth. 



Little attention is paid to the spe 

 cies, the beautiful hybrids of the her 

 baceous section being what we are in 

 terested in. Seed can be obtained of 

 any reliable seedsman that will produce 

 a great variety of beautiful flowers. 

 Sow from June to end of September. 

 If wanted in bloom by March, the ear 

 lier month is the time to sow, but they 

 are difficult to have in bloom that early; 

 if sown in September they can be 

 bloomed the following May, and with 

 less risk of failure than earlier. The 

 seed is most minute, and for directions 

 about sowing refer to chapter on that 

 subject. Would say here that it should 

 never be covered, a piece of glass over 

 the seed pan being sufficient. 



When the little plants are large 

 enough to handle place them in pans 

 or pots an inch apart. When they are 

 near touching each other put into 3-inch 

 pots. By December they will be large 

 enough to go into 5-inch pots, and as 

 they must be wintered cool, they will 

 not need another shift till the first of 

 March, when they can go into their flow 

 ering pots, a 7 or 8-inch. 



Calceolarias are not so often seen in 

 either the florists windows or the pri 

 vate garden as their great beauty should 

 warrant, and the reason is that although 

 they cannot be called a difficult plant to 

 manage they are easily ruined by neg 

 lect or mismanagement. The following 

 conditions if faithfully observed will in 

 sure success: 



Watering At no time must they be 

 allowed to wilt for want of water, and, 

 like the cineraria, must never be over- 

 watered or that will kill them; avoid 

 extremes both ways. No syringing is 

 needed. 



Temperature In the dull, dark days 

 of winter 40 degrees at night is plenty 

 warm enough. In Europe they are 

 largely grown in coldframes. Here 

 that is not as practicable, but from 

 seed sowing till middle of November 

 a coldframe is much the best for them. 

 Let them at all times be so situated that 

 they can have light, room to grow, 

 plenty of fresh air and a low tempera 

 ture. Bright sun coming suddenly in 

 early spring is liable to burn their 

 leaves, so a temporary shade should be 

 provided, but not a permanent one till 

 they are near flowering time. 



Soil A rather light loam, not chopped 

 or sifted too fine, with a fourth or fifth 

 of thoroughly rotted manure, will grow 

 them well, if the soil is heavy add 

 sand to the manure. I am sure it pays 

 well when they are in the larger pots, 

 the 5-inch and upwards, to drain with a 

 few crocks and a piece of green moss. 



Insects They are seldom troubled 

 with any but the common greenfly, but 

 to those the calceolaria is a choice mor 

 sel and too often a fine batch of young 



