February 24, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
405 
alocasia sanderiana. 
This very handsome Aroid, which was an introduc¬ 
tion from one of the islands of the Eastern Archi¬ 
pelago, and put into commerce in 1884 by Mr. 
William Bull, can, as will be seen from the accom¬ 
panying illustration, be grown with great advantage 
to much larger proportions than is usually seen in 
this country. The illustration is a reduction from a 
photograph of a specimen in the collection of Mrs. 
Lascell, of Whitingsville, Massachusets, U.S.A., 
kindly sent to us by Mr. A. Dimmick, the much 
respected representative of Messrs. F. Sander & Co. 
The plant, it appears, was purchased by Mrs. 
Lascell soon after its introduction, and has been 
successfully grown every year since by her able 
gardener, Mr. George MacWilliams, who is an 
adept in the cultivation of stove plants generally. 
Mr. Dimmick also informs us that during the last 
six years Mr. MacWilliams has had a marvellous 
display of Dendrobium formosum giganteum every 
season. The pseudo-bulbs in many instances are 
over 2 ft. high, and last autumn showed no signs of 
the deterioration occasionally heard of in connection 
with this Dendrobe. 
-- 
CYCLAMENS AND CINERARIAS. 
While some cultivators grow their Cyclamens for 
spring flowering, Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, 
make a point of having a display in the autumn at 
their Portland Road nursery, and which will last 
through the winter. The seeds were sown in No¬ 
vember, 1892, and came into bloom in about eleven 
months. They have been flowering freely ever 
since, and will continue in presentable and handsome 
condition till six months have elapsed. Half a year 
is no mean duration for any class of flowers, and 
well repays any attention and trouble that may have 
been incurred during the early stages of the plants. 
The latter, but particularly the giant strain of them, 
are dwarfer than they used to be when first placed 
before the public. They are compact in habit, and 
measure only 12 in. to 14 in. from the bottom of the 
pot to the top of the flowers. This is an important 
matter, as staking and all its inconveniences, extra 
labour and ugliness is avoided. At the same time, 
many of the plants measure about 18 in. to 22 in. 
through with handsome foliage, and an abundance of 
flowers of the most perfect form and imposing 
proportions. 
There is something attractive in Giant White 
which takes the eye as the acme of perfection, 
purity, and beauty. The broad segments are of 
great substance, and when seen in the mass as we 
saw them at Reading, are very effective. The rich 
colour of Giant Crimson is more intensified round 
the mouth, and possibly in the near future the 
darker shade may be extended to the apex of the 
segments, giving rise to a new self-coloured variety 
which would no doubt be appreciated by many. As 
it is, however, there is nothing with which fault can 
be found. Giant purple is quite distinct, with rich 
purple flowers which assume a distinct violet shade 
when dying off. The mixture of the two colours is 
very interesting, especially when we conceive it 
possible that a variety of a violet hue may yet be 
evolved from it, or an allied form. Paler than 
either of the last two is Giant Rose, whose flowers 
are of a soft rosy pink, deepening to carmine round 
the mouth. The tendency in most of the coloured 
kinds is to have longer segments than the white one, 
though not so broad relatively to their length. 
Quite distinct from either of the above is White 
Butterfly, whose name expresses the colour ; its dis¬ 
tinguishing feature is that the segments spread at 
right angles to the rest of the flower, instead of being 
erect. Many cultivators have been highly delighted 
with it on account of the variety which it affords. 
The old small-flowered types of C. persicum still 
find many admirers and cultivators ; but we are not 
surprised, for the plants produce an enormous num¬ 
ber of flowers, and are perhaps a little 
more easy to manage and flower in 
small pots. Both flowers and leaves are 
smaller, but this is compensated for by 
their greater numbers. The variety 
of colour is perhaps greater than in 
the giganteum type, although the latter 
leaves little to complain of in that re¬ 
spect. Album is a beautiful white form, 
but Salmon Queen, with deep salmon 
flowers and a mulberry base, presents 
more novelty. Indeed, we think it a 
charming flower, that appeals to the 
eye even from the midst of a batch ot 
many kinds. The most intense colour 
of all is the dark crimson Vulcan, the 
flowers of which become several shades 
more intensified as they die off. Those 
who like rich and intensified colours 
cannot do better than add it to their 
collection. The differences in the tint 
between old and young flowers is con¬ 
siderable, the former in some cases being 
almost black. 
Cinerarias. 
These have been flowering since the 
end of last year, although the seed 
was only sown in June. The plants are 
now in 32-size pots, which do not encour¬ 
age the development of very large plants, 
but are sufficiently large to favour 
the production of seed, which is the 
object in view. There is a great range 
of variety both in self and bicolors; 
by the last are meant those whose heads 
have a white central zone, edged with a 
greatly varying width of some other 
colour. Both types meet with a large 
amount cf favour amongst the gar¬ 
dening fraternity and the public in 
general. A number of double varieties 
are also kept in stock, but for effective¬ 
ness they can hardly compete with the 
single kinds. The white variety, with 
a violet disc, is very choice and 
chaste. Another strain ranges through 
varying shades of blue, sometimes 
very intense, and occasionally tinged 
with purple. The red and purple 
seifs are also fine, and all are charac¬ 
terised by broad overlapping rays. The 
bicolors are characterised by a disc 
of violet or purple, surrounded with a 
white zone, and that again by a blue, 
purple, and deep purple border, in vary¬ 
ing shades, and sometimes reduced to a 
narrow rim. This arrangement gives a 
bright and lively effect to a collection 
having a due proportion of seifs. The 
double forms have globular heads that are either blue, 
purple, lilac-purple, or white with a purple centre. 
Altogether then, the collection shows a great amount 
of variety. The starry flowers that used to be grown 
have completely disappeared, and their place is 
taken by varieties characterised by large size, great 
breadth of ray petals, and good substance. 
—-- 
PRUNING FRUIT TREES. 
[Concluded from p. 390). 
Before leaving this genus we must say a few words 
about standards. In the West and South-West of 
England most of the orchards are planted with 
trees having stems from 5 ft. to 6 ft. high. This is 
done so that the branches may be out of the reach 
of cattle, for the ground underneath is seldom 
Alocasia Sanderiana, as grown at Whitingsville, Massachusets. 
