FKBRUARY. 37 



SPOT ON THE PELARGONIUM. 



Having a little time at my disposal, I beg to offer a few remarks on 

 what is generally termed " spot" on the Pelargonium. That such a 

 thing exists more or less every year cannot be denied, and generally 

 from August to January. To many this has been one of the most 

 mysterious things connected with the cultivation of this popular 

 flower, and has been handled both by growers and writers with some 

 timidity, some attributing the cause to one thing and some to an- 

 other ; but as far as my experience has gone, the matter has been 

 settled in my own mind long ago. My belief is that the sole cause 

 of spot is too much wet received by the plants just before and after 

 they are cut down. How often are plants cut down while in a per- 

 fectly soddened state ! This may be regarded as the first step to 

 spot, and such a practice should always be avoided. A little consi- 

 deration will prove this system to be perfectly wrong; for when 

 plants are cut down in a wet state they bleed, and in many instances 

 I have known them bleed to death. The Pelargonium cannot be too 

 dry when it is cut down, and as the plants advance in growth the 

 moisture may be increased. Another precursor of spot is, that in 

 many places the plants are allowed to stand out of doors exposed to 

 all weathers, &c. after they are cut down, which is very injurious to 

 their constitution ; and when they are watered every plant receives 

 some, whether it requires it or not, and this is often done with a large 

 rosed watering-pot. Such a course I very much disapprove of, and 

 those who follow it can expect nothing less than the spot for their 

 pains ; besides, after the plants are watered at night, a storm may 

 perchance "blow up," and still they are unprotected, the plant that 

 has had too much water already still receiving more. I have no 

 doubt that many of your readers, as well as myself, have seen the pots 

 full of water two or three days after rain. Is not this, I would ask, 

 injurious to the constitution of the plant ? A dirty, broken frame 

 is equally objectionable, and I believe it helps to bring about spot ; 

 but if the frame is clean, the lights washed, and the glass mended, 

 it is very serviceable till September ; nevertheless the plants should 

 have abundance of air, the lights only being on during damp weather, 

 and at night air should be given by tilting the lights at the back. 

 The plants should also stand on some hard level bottom, for too much 

 care cannot be bestowed on them for some time after they are cut 

 down. It is very discouraging to a gardener to see his plants in such 

 a state as the spot brings them to, after, as he thinks, he has done 

 all he could to prevent it. The plants require to be constantly gone 

 over and the spotted leaves removed, and other extra trouble taken, 

 which, if commenced well at the proper time, could have been saved. 

 In my opinion, the preparation of the soil is one of the most essential 

 things ; but of this I shall treat at length at some future time. 



To the above remarks I would add, that my mode of manage- 

 ment, as regards cutting down, &c. will, if carried out, I am sure, be 



