CULTURE OF GERANIUMS. 



71 



fet to peep into the window, and though the 

 gorgeous flowers of the new hybridized varie- 

 ties, have in a great measure driven these 

 and many other old veterans nearly out of 

 the field ; yet all are deservedly admired. 

 While too much praise cannot he given to 

 such men as Beck, Lyne, Thurtell, 

 GrARTH, GrAINES, and a few others, for their 

 perseverance and ardor in bringing this genus 

 to what is acknowledged, in a floricultural 

 view to be perfection, yet it is much to be 

 regretted that so many of the old and ori- 

 ginally introduced species should have sunk 

 into oblivion. There were in many of them 

 forms as attractive, and colours equally bril- 

 liant as the new sorts ; and though the flow- 

 ers were not so large, the perfume of the 

 leaves of many species amply compensated for 

 this apparent deficiency. The florist, liaving 

 now arrived at his own standard of perfection 

 in this case, has become satiated, and looks 

 around for fresh novelties upon which to try 

 his skill ; yet he cannot relin((uish his old fa- 

 vorite, and he is now working at what he 

 pleases to call a foncy class of Pelargoniums, 

 several beautiful varieties of which are now 

 before the public ; but I am inclined to 

 think, that in the long run he will again get 

 into the same strain of flowers, for twenty 

 years ago there were many varieties which 

 are not unlike what he is now operating upon ; 

 and as form and brilliance are instinctive 

 feelings with him, I see no chance of other 

 results. 



The geographical range of the genus may 

 be said to be limited, being confined to the 

 southern hemisphere, and, with a few excep- 

 tions, to the Cape of Good Hope, from which 

 place have been brought upwards of two 

 hundred species and sub-species. It belongs 

 to the class Monadelphia, and forms the or- 

 der Heptandria of the sexual, and to the or- 

 der Geraniaceae, of the natural system of bota- 

 ny. By authors, it is reduced into many sub- 



divisions, owing to its multiplicity, for con- 

 venience in ascertaining distinctions, and re- 

 ferring more readily to individual species. 

 In culture, the more hei'baceous and succu- 

 lent kinds, as bicoloi', tricolor, carnosuvi, &c., 

 require in winter a moderately warm tempe- 

 rature, say 50° by night, and 60° to 70° with 

 sunlight. The more robust sorts, such as 

 Zonall, the scarlet, and all the fine show 

 kinds, will do well with less heat, although all 

 of them do not like too much cold, and par- 

 ticularly sharp winds ; l»ut abundance of air 

 should be given at every favorable opportu- 

 nity. The whole family should be placed as 

 near the glass as possible ; without wliich 

 precaution they will grow weak and sappy, 

 and the blooming will be very nmch deterio- 

 rated. "Where proper convenience cannot be 

 had, the scarlets (such as Tom Thumb, etc.,) 

 may be taken up about the middle of Octo- 

 ber, and the roots covered with sandy loam 

 in a cool dry cellar, free from frost, and taken 

 out in early spring before they have pushed 

 much growth. If too soon td jilant in the 

 open ground, they must be \)\\i into pots in a 

 cool room, where there is light, and seldom 

 watered, only giving barelj' enough of that 

 element to support life till the weather is suf- 

 ficiently open, when they may be planted into 

 the flower borders, and will soon recover and 

 make a fine display all the summer. But 

 where there is sufiicient room in a green- 

 house, if placed near the glass, they will con- 

 tinue to bloom all the winter, and amply re- 

 pay for the room they occupy. 



The culture of this genus is so simple that 

 it is matter of surprise to me that we see so 

 many ill grown and straggling specimens even, 

 in some of our best places. It appears as if 

 there were a determined intention to make 

 the most lovely of Flora's gifts hideous. I 

 am sure there is room for great improvement, 

 and hope we shall see it. A well grown Pe- 

 largonium should not have its stems in sight, 



