THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 163 



said that we are still in want of whole ba,tches of new varieties, and 

 of that not many are aware. I have learnt something from my long 

 and careful coarse of hybridizing this tribe of plants, and perhaps 

 the most prominent of many lessons is this — that it is possible to 

 bring the geranium to such a pitcli of perfection that nine-tenths of 

 the varieties in cultivation will very soon be dispensed with. The 

 varieties are too numerous because many of them are bad ; and we 

 want more of a certain kind to take the place of the discarded 

 varieties ; in short, we want all the shades and colours we 

 have already, but we want them all represented by better 

 flowers. 



The majority of cultivators have not yet thought much about the 

 forms of the flowers of zonales. Colour has been much thought of, 

 and colour only. Yet, amongst a certain few, form has had full 

 recognition ; and as breeders have succeeded in originating a series 

 of varieties remarkable for perfection of outline and breadth of petal, 

 and in many cases not less remarkable for delicacy and riclmess of 

 colour, the bedding capabilities of the zonales have become quite 

 second to their importance in the decoration of the conservatory 

 and for late summer exhibitions. It is eminently desirable that 

 amateurs generally should give attention to the more refined forms 

 of geraniums which are now obtainable. They are so easily grown, 

 are so well adapted to decorate the greenhouse and conservatory at 

 a time when flowers are generally scarce, are so exquisitely beautiful 

 in both leaf and flower, and may be treated in an off-hand way, and 

 allowed to form large bushes, or may be trained down to convex 

 outlines and made gigantic exhibition specimens, and in every 

 case need but a moderate amount of skill to insure complete 

 success. 



We have nothing now to do with Tom Thumb, Christine, Hib- 

 berd's Pet, Eeedii, and the rest of the favourites for the decoration 

 of the parterre, except to direct attention to the form of their 

 flowers, in order to point out the great distinction now established 

 between these favourites and the best exhibition kinds. It will be 

 noticed that the flowers of all the old varieties consist of compara- 

 tively narrow petals, which are more or less separated, the two top 

 petals being smaller than the three lower ones. The outline of the 

 flower is irregular, and deeply indented where the petals meet. In 

 the exhibition kinds we have, on the contrary, petals of great breadth 

 and substance, the top petals are the same size as the bottom ones, 

 or so nearly the same size that the eye does not readily perceive any 

 difference between them. More remarkable than any other feature 

 is the nearly perfect circle presented by the outline of the whole 

 flower, the almost total obliteration of the indentations on account 

 of the breadth and overlappinc/ of the petals. It is perhaps not 

 possible yet to separate geraniums into two classes, one to comprise 

 the narrow petals, and the other the broad petals, but form alto- 

 gether, including breadth, smoothness, a circular outline and top 

 petals the same size as the lower ones ; form should be thought of as 

 most important in the selection of varieties for conservatory decora- 

 tion. The exquisite beauty of the broad-petaUed kinds puts them 



