OCTOBER. 217 



FANCY PELARGONIUMS. 



Our Illustration this month consists, as will be seen, of three 

 varieties of the above charming plant, of distinct, bright, and 

 lively colours, and of the most beautiful form. We have not 

 presented our readers with a representation of this universal 

 favourite — for it is equally esteemed at home and at the ex- 

 hibition — since we gave a plate of Fancies in our volume for 

 1851, page 54, to which we beg to refer our readers, in order 

 that they may judge for themselves, whether or not there has 

 been an advance towards perfection, and whether the labour 

 of the hybridiscr has been thrown away. Dandy was pro- 

 duced by the very successful raiser, Mr. Ambrose of Batter- 

 sea ; it is a good grower, and the flowers are perfectly circular. 

 The other two, Loveliness and Bonnie Lassie, are from the pro- 

 lific establishment of the Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Son, 

 St. John's Wood, and are of that lively pink shade of colour, 

 so much admired in fancy Pelargoniums. 



As this month is the proper season in which the young 

 Fancy Pelargonium should be started, as a plant for decorative 

 purposes in the ensuing spring, or for exhibition in the course 

 of next season, a few remarks may be of use to those who 

 cultivate this now popular flower, which we may truly name 

 the perpetual Pelargonium, flowering as it does, with proper 

 treatment, the whole of the year round. It has been called the 

 ladies' Pelargonium ; and well it deserves the name, seeing 

 the profusion of many-coloured flowers it produces, varied as 

 the colours in the rainbow ; added to which, its sweet foliage 

 renders it indispensable in the formation of the bouquet ; and 

 there is not a doubt that it will yet be a general favourite for 

 the flower-garden, as it becomes hardened by careful hybri- 

 dising with the Cape varieties, whose colours are brilliant, 

 though deficient in form. In fact, there are already in 

 cultivation examples which prove that such must be the 

 result. 



It is not long since we had but a few starry things, such 

 as Sheppard's Queen Victoria, Anais, and the like, which 

 were considered pretty, but were condemned by the old 

 school as being weeds, flowers for the day, in which no im- 

 provement could be made ; let them now look to the fine form 

 which has been obtained, surpassing the most beautiful of 

 the large show varieties. However, each class is equally 

 beautiful and handsome when " well done." 



It may not be out of place here to enumerate a few of the 



NEW SERIES, VOL. III. NO. XXXIV. IT 



