CALADIUM 



THE BULB BOOK 



CALADIUM 



attention to cultural details. The 

 plants are mostly grown in pots, the 

 sizes of which vary according to 

 the size of the tubers. The drainage 

 must be perfect in all cases. An 

 excellent compost is made by mixing 

 turfy loam, leaf -mould or turfy peat, 

 old cow-manure, and coarse silver 

 sand in equal proportions, the whole 

 being turned over three times to 

 secure an equable distribution of the 

 various ingredients. 



The tubers are started into growth 

 at intervals between January and 

 March. They are shaken out of the 

 old soil in which they have rested 

 during the winter, and any dead 

 or decaying portions are carefully 

 scraped away. After potting up 

 in the compost above mentioned, 

 the tubers are placed in a temperature 

 of not less than 65° to VO" F., the 

 pots being often plunged in a coco-nut 

 fibre bed with a moist bottom heat, 

 to encourage more rapid growth. 

 Gentle sprinklings are at first given 

 to keep the surroundings moist, but 

 as the growths push up with increasing 

 vigour, so must the supply of water 

 be increased accordingly. Once the 

 leaves are fully expanded, and the 

 pots have become full, a somewhat 

 cooler atmosphere may be provided 

 if it is intended to keep the plants a 

 long time in leaf, or if they are required 

 for exhibition. As a rule, however, 

 the heat and moisture are kept up 

 during active growth when plants are 

 not required for other situations, 

 and weak liquid manure is given 

 three or four times a week, or even 

 oftener, to bring out all the gorgeous 

 beauty of the leaf coloration. The 

 plants are kept clean by frequent 

 syringings ; and owing to the delicate 

 tissues of the leaves, they must not 

 be subjected to strong sunshine at 

 any time. 



Towards the autumn the leaves 



122 



begin to lose their beauty, and flop 

 over the sides of the pots. This 

 indicates the approach of the resting 

 period ; consequently water is given 

 less frequently, until at length the 

 withered leaves drop off and the 

 tubers are once more allowed to rest 

 in a dryish state until early spring in 

 a temperature not below 60° F. during 

 the winter. 



Caladiums are easily increased by 

 detaching the suckers which spring 

 from the fleshy tubers in spring, pr 

 by carefully cutting tubers with 

 several crowns into pieces. When 

 the sucker-like shoots have grown 

 5 or 6 ins. long, they should be cut 

 off at the base with as many fibrous 

 roots attached as possible. They are 

 then put into small pots in the 

 compost recommended, and plunged 

 in bottom heat 65° to 75° F. in a 

 propagating frame. They are kept 

 close and moist for a time until they 

 recover, after which they may be 

 taken out and placed in a more light- 

 some and airy position. When fully 

 established they may be placed in 

 larger pots, either singly or several 

 together, to make large specimens. 

 Very few of the natural species are 

 grown, having been displaced by the ■ 

 more beautiful garden varieties that 

 have been raised principally from C. 

 bicolor. The following, however, may 

 be mentioned : — 



C. adamantlmim. — An ornamental 

 plant with deflexed, sagittate leaves, 

 dark green veined with white, and 

 covered with numerous white dots 

 along the borders of the veins {III. 

 Hort. xxxviii. t. 132). 



C. argyrltes. — This is one of the 

 smallest and at the same time one of 

 the most popular members of the 

 genus, being frequently used for the 

 decoration of tables, edges of stages 

 in the greenhouse, and even in dry 

 and draughty exhibition places. The 



