372 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



they did formerly. Give them, however, but a fair chance and 

 they will prove all that one can desire. Probably many of the 

 imported stems, of which such numbers were received into this 

 country some few years back, did not permanently establish 

 themselves, and have now succumbed or are barely existing. 

 When these are planted out in capacious houses no plants could 

 possibly present a finer appearance. Those, for instance, which 

 are to be seen in the Temperate House at Kew Gardens are 

 grand examples of luxuriant vegetation. As an instance of how 

 well they succeed in pots when carefully attended to and under 

 favourable conditions, those at the Crystal Palace may be quoted ; 

 they are magnificent plants. 



Amongst stove plants, during the past few years, the most 

 remarkable additions have been made to the Crotons, Caladiums, 

 Nepenthes, and Dracaenas. Each of these genera now possesses 

 such variations in form and colouring as to render plants of them 

 simply indispensable where much decoration has to be accom- 

 plished. The gain in Crotons has been immense. Time was when 

 all of the best could be counted on the finger-ends. Not so now, 

 with such an abundant choice both in habit, form, and colour. 

 There are those with broad and massive foliage, as Baron James 

 de Kothschild, C. Andreanum, and C. Mortii ; those with narrow 

 leaves, of which C. angustifolium is still one of the best of the 

 drooping kinds. Mrs. Dorman is, however, a good type, more 

 erect in habit. With extra long and narrow drooping leaves, G. 

 Warreni is an excellent example. Then there are those with 

 recurved foliage, as C. recurvifolium ; of the trilobed kinds, G. 

 Disraeli is one of the best ; whilst with foliage of medium width, 

 the type represented by Queen Victoria and Sunset should 

 be noted, thene being of brilliant colour when well grown. Alto- 

 gether, Crotons are most valuable plants both in and out of the 

 stove. Dracaenas also afford us a great variation, from the 

 narrow but highly coloured D. superba to the broad and noble 

 foliage of D. Thompsonii and D. Youngii. D. terminalis is not 

 beaten in its way, nor is D. stricta, which is a stronger grower. 

 D. Lindenii and D. Goldieana are both quite distinct varieties, 

 the former being the most showy and of more value as a 

 decorative plant ; the latter, however, rivals it for use as a table- 

 plant. The comparatively new D. Douccttii bids fair to be a 

 valuable addition ; this would, I think, succeed well in a cool 



