FOLIAGE PLANTS. 



ALOCASIAS. 



There are above fifteen varieties of this plant in the trade, 

 all of them are easily grown in Compost Number 3* ; many 

 of these plants require to be grown under the shade of trees, or 

 in the fern house ; their leaves are of imposing dimensions, and 

 a few of them have beautifully variegated stems and leaves; 

 some varieties of this plant propagate themselves (like " Gigan- 

 tea," "Lowii" and "Macrorrhiza-Variegata"), that is, young 

 shoots grow round the parent plant, which spring from the 

 roots ; when these have established themselves well, and grown 

 three or four leaves, they should be removed from the parent 

 plant (between October and February being the most suitable 

 time); other varieties like "Metallica" and " Zebrina" grow 

 bulbs which will be found among the roots when making the 

 annual transplantations ; these bulbs should be collected and 

 sown in shallow seed pans filled with fine river sand, when they 

 will germinate. 



The kinds offered for sale are named as under : 



Alocasia Amabilis. Alocasia Chelsoni. 



A. Gigantea. This is a grotesque-looking plant, growing to a 

 great height ; the leaves have numerous projections like digits, 

 and the edges of the leaf are slightly undulated ; the leaves, like 

 the plant, are of huge dimensions. 



Alocasia Illustris. Alocasia Jenningsii. 



A. Johnstoni (Cyrtosperma Johnstoni) . This is a very beauti- 

 fully variegated description ; is a native of the Solomon Islands 

 (in the Pacific Ocean) ; has arrow-shaped leaves, olive green, 



* COMPOST No. 3. Fine river sand, three parts ; vegetable mould, one ; 

 and decayed manure, one part. This compost is well adapted for bulbs in 

 general. Dahlias seem to grow well in it, but require liquid manure 

 occasionally. Hints to Amateur Gardeners, ly A. T. Jaffrey. 



