The Colocasias are very ornamental plants with large handsome leaves, and are related to and require the same culture as the Caladiums. There is considerable confusion in the nomenclature of these plants in gardens, and Caladiums are sometimes found named Alocasias or Colocasias, and _vice versa_. The principal species are antiquorum; its variety, esculentum (syn. Caladium esculentem), sometimes used in the south for sub-tropical effect, being planted out in June, and freely supplied with water; and odorata.
We have already referred to the hardy Crinums, but this work would be imperfect without a few details about the stove species, among which are some plants of the highest types of floral beauty. These should have a good soil of fibrous loam, peat, a little sand, and charcoal to keep the compost sweet, as the plants require plenty of water while growing, C. campanulatum and C. purpurascens especially requiring this, as they do best standing in a pan of water. They are also greatly benefited by syringing overhead. After the flowering period is over water may be reduced. They need large pots or tubs, as they form fleshy roots which should be as little disturbed as possible. There are so many Crinums, that a short selection of well-proved, good species suitable for the stove is necessary. These are--amabile, three feet, red; asiaticum, two feet, white; campanulatum, one foot, red-purple; giganteum, three feet, white; Kirkii, one and a half feet, white, striped red; Macowani, two feet, pink; purpurascens, one foot, claret-red; and zeylanicum, three feet, white, striped red.
The varieties of Cyclamen latifolium, or persicum, a plant which has yielded under cultivation so many beautiful flowers, are general favourites, and are so easy to cultivate that they are largely grown for the decoration of glass structures and rooms. There are several methods adopted for raising the fine plants so often seen nowadays, which are generally young specimens grown from seeds. The following plan is followed by many successful growers. The seeds are sown from the beginning of August to the end of November, in pans of fibrous loam, some silver sand, and a fifth of leaf-soil. They are placed in an intermediate house, or a temperature of about fifty-five degrees, and in a little shade until the seedlings have begun to appear, when they may be placed near the glass and pricked off when they can be handled. They may be grown on in a similar temperature during the winter, but a little increase may be given immediately after potting off in February or March into three-inch pots. They should be placed in frames turned towards the north for the summer, receiving a potting into five-inch pots in July, and being kept close for a few days afterwards. After taking indoors they must be near the glass, and syringed frequently to keep off red spider.