SAUCER GARDENING 



By Frank K. Balthis. 



O EVERAL elements or conditions are necessary to promote 

 ^ plant growth. First, there must be a certain amount of 

 light ; second, a certain degree of heat, and third, no plant can 

 exist for any length of time without water. How, then, if 

 light, heat, and moisture are necessary, can plants be made to 

 grow without some of these essentials? None will, but some 

 few are so wonderfully constructed that they haye their own 

 reservoirs from which to draw the material they need to pro- 

 duce a certain amount of growth. The bulb of the Deyil's 

 tongue {Amor pho phallus Rk'icri) is a monster in size and con- 

 tains so much food that it will sustain itself sufficiently to pro- 

 duce a flower. The appearance of the bud heralds the ap- 

 proach of another year of life for the plant. Simply place the 

 bulb on a saucer in a warm spot in the south window or con- 

 servatory, and almost before one is aware of what is happen- 

 ing the bud will appear. The illustration will give a very good 

 idea of the size and shape of the flower. It often measures 

 three feet in length. The color is a dark purple, spotted with 

 dark red. But the least said about the odor the better, because 

 ''distance lends enchantment" for persons with sensitive olfac- 

 tory organs. It is no doubt necessary for the purpose of at- 

 tracting insects to insure pollination of the stigmas. After the 

 plant has flowered — towards the end of May — it may be 

 planted out of doors. The leaves grow about four feet high 

 in the form of an umbrella, so that the whole plant is interest- 

 ing. It is a member of the calla family. 



