THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



known as Caladium esculentum, it is 

 strictly speaking another genus of the 

 same order (Aroidetz) viz : — Colocasia 

 esculenta. It was brought to England 

 from the Sandwich Islands in 1739, and 

 has been much used in the southern 

 counties in beds of tropical plants. It 

 grows to a height of about two feet under 

 favorable conditions. Even in England 

 it is not planted out until early June, 



for like the Caladiums proper it will not 

 endure cold much lower than 55° or 6o° 

 Fahr. In the heat of summer, these 

 plants need plenty of water and in early 

 fall, before danger of frost, the tubers 

 must be stored away in a cellar until 

 March, when they may be started in a 

 hot-bed as practised by our correspon- 

 dent. 



FALL BULBS: SUGGESTIONS AS TO PLANTING 



AND CULTURE. 



F desired, snowdrops can be 

 planted in a 4 inch pot, and 

 treated like the hyacinths and nar- 

 cissus ; that is, by being watered, 

 and put away in a cool, dark cellar or 

 shed, or put out of doors and covered 

 by several inches of some material (not 

 fresh manure) until the pots are full of 

 roots. They must be kept from frost 

 and not allowed to get dry after root 

 growth has begun. If thoroughly water- 

 ed when potted they will not require 

 much afterwards until they are brought 

 to the light. The hyacinths and Easter 

 Lily will not be ready to leave the cellar 

 until about the first of January. The 

 Narcissus about a month earlier. 



If desired, all these bulbs, except the 

 Lilium Harrisii, will do quite well if 

 planted in the garden. In that case, 

 they should be planted in good soil, and 

 at least three inches below the surface. 

 The best soil for the potted bulbs 

 would be rotted sod, leaf mould and 

 sand, in equal parts, or very old friable 

 manure in place of the leaf mould. Let 

 the pots be clean and well drained, to 



allow the surplus water to pass out at 

 the bottom. This is best accomplished 

 by putting a handful of beach gravel or 

 broken potsherds in the bottom, with a 

 little moss or half decayed tree leaves 

 broken over this, to prevent the soil 

 being washed into the drainage. On 

 this fill in the soil for the hyacinths to 

 within two inches of the top, when the 

 soil has been shaken down (not pressed) 

 by jarring the pot on something solid. 

 Then set the bulb in the centre of the 

 pot and fill in the soil around it so that 

 when gently pressed there is an inch 

 left to permit of effective watering. 

 When finished, half the bulb will be 

 above ground. The Narcissus should 

 be just out of sight, and the lily two 

 inches below the surface. Any good 

 garden soil will do if the rotted sod is 

 not at hand. 



If preferred, three hyacinths might 

 be placed in one 6-inch pot, but the 

 bulbs should not touch each other 

 when planted. — Mr. A. Alexander, be- 

 fore Hamilton Horticultural Society. 



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