n but it is advisable to propagate 
60 THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Pelargonium—continued. 
Show varieties, and are not quite so easily grown. 
Instead of propagating from ripened wood in autumn, 
early spring is found the best time, and new shoots are 
taken for the purpose of forming cuttings when they 
become tolerably firm. The general treatment regarding 
soil, potting, ripening in summer, &c., given above 
for the Show section, will also Suit this, with the follow- 
ing exceptions: Watering must be even more carefully 
attended to in winter; a little higher temperature is 
also desirable, and over-potting Must specially be avoided. 
It is better to err in keeping the roots somewhat dry 
rather than too wet. Plenty Of room must be allowed 
each plant, or it will soon become drawn; light and 
air, whenever the latter can be admitted, are also 
essentials to success. Fancy Pelargoniums are much 
less vigorous than the Show Varieties, and do not re- 
quire so much tying out; yet sufficient should be done 
to them in this respect to prevent the numerous shoots 
overcrowding each other in the centre. The plants may 
be similarly grown on for several years in succession; 
new ones, to 
y replace the old ones. 
Zonal or Bedding Pelargoniums, Amongst popular 
garden plants, few are more Widely cultivated than the 
varieties of Zonal Pelargoniums. They are supposed to 
have originally descended from P. inquinans and P. 
zonale, which were introduced early in the eighteenth 
century. Varieties of the present day show a remarkable 
contrast in comparison with them, and the vast improve- 
ment in the flower and habit of the plant which has 
been made, more particularly of late years. Zonal 
Pelargoniums may be had in flower the whole year 
round, by affording some little attention to the propaga- 
tion and preparation of plants- Many of the varieties 
raised somewhat recently are eXceedingly showy decora- 
tive subjects when grown in pots under glass, and they 
are more especially. useful throughout the winter for 
te purpose of cutting. With this latter object in view, 
cuttings should be inserted in the previous autumn, or 
early in spring, and the plants Obtained should be grown 
on throughout the summer, and not allowed to flower until, 
say, about September, when the Season for those outside 
will begin to decline. A light, airy house or pit, with a 
warm, fairly dry atmosphere, will þe the best situation 
from the time the plants are rooted until about mid- 
summer, when they should be Placed on a bed of coal 
ashes in the open air, or in a shallow pit with the 
sashes removed. This plan is adopted in order that the 
growths may be short-jointed and become well ripened 
by autumn. During winter, a light span-roofed house 
is best adapted for Zonal Pelargoniums in flower; it 
should be kept at from about 50deg, to 55deg. by day, and 
the atmosphere always on the dry side. An excellent and 
a most successful system of heating houses for the 
winter treatment of Zonal Pelargoniums in flower, is that 
of conducting the hot water through a small pipe fixed 
along the rafters, just above the flower trusses. This 
plan is not always practicable, or, perhaps, worth the 
trouble of adopting where only g comparatively few 
plants are grown; but the success attending it is sug- 
gestive as to what are the most guitable provisions to 
be aimed at under ordinary circumstances. Damp is the 
greatest enemy to be contended with in winter. In 
summer, either young or old plants may readily be had 
in flower at almost any time by leaving their trusses to 
expand. Young plants should be stopped once or twice, 
to encourage a compact habit, Care being taken always 
to pinch to a joint at which is Situated a growing bud. 
A system frequently—indeed, generally—practised is that 
of stopping indiscriminately at whatever joint seems best 
situated; this should not be adhered to with the Pelar- 
gonium unless where there is a wth or wood-bud 
present, and not a flower.t~russ, Cuttings that are 
Pelargonium—continued. 
not too sappy will root with the greatest ease in a 
warm house or pit during spring, and at almost any 
season, if young plants are required. The plants succeed 
best in a rich, loamy soil, with some manure; and they 
flower most profusely if allowed to become somewhat 
pot-bound, and fed with liquid manure. 
Unfortunately, none of the single Pelargoniums are 
lasting in a cut state, as their petals drop readily. To 
prevent this with plants for exhibition, and with flower- 
trusses for market, it is customary to drop the smallest 
quantity of liquid gum into the centre of each flower, 
to render it more durable. Varieties with double or 
semi-double flowers have now become numerous, and are 
exceedingly useful in a cut state, as, unlike the single 
ones, they hold on persistently until becoming withered. 
The plants succeed under treatment similar to those 
which have single flowers, and are very compact and 
floriferous, especially the semi-double varieties, that are 
of a comparatively recent date, and mostly of Continental 
origin. It must be admitted they are not so showy as 
varieties with single flowers, but, notwithtanding this, 
they form a very attractive and useful addition. 
Zonal Pelargoniums, used only for bedding, in summer, 
may be propagated in any quantity towards the end 
of August, by cuttings obtained from plants outside. 
These may be inserted rather close together, in either 
pots or boxes, as may be convenient, and placed on a 
bed of ashes, in the full sun. Here they may remain 
until housed up for the winter, about the end of Septem- 
ber, in any structure kept a little warm and rather 
dry. Any dead leaves should be frequently looked for 
and removed, and but little water should be given. Pot 
off singly about February, and grow on, in preparation 
for transplanting outside, in May, or early in June. 
Variegated-leaved Pelargoniwms, A few varieties of 
these are invaluable as bedding plants, on account of 
their coloured foliage and distinct appearance in com- 
parison with the ordinary Zonals. They are severally 
distinguished as Golden Tricolor, Silver Tricolor, Gold 
and Bronze or Bicolor, Silver-variegated, Golden-leaved, 
and Variegated Ivy-leaved. Tricolors, with few excep- 
tions, are rather tender, and do not succeed properly in 
the open ground, unless under favourable conditions, and 
in a warm situation. They may be grown well in small 
pots, under glass. Cuttings from ontside should be inserted 
in pots, early in August, and a warm, rather dry, place 
selected for them in winter. They may also be readily 
propagated in heat during spring. The Bronze, Silver- 
variegated, and Golden-leaved varieties are almost ex- 
clusively used for bedding, and may be treated in the 
same Manner as recommended for bedding Zonals. In 
summer propagating, however, they should be attended 
to first of the two; and a little heat will be necessary 
all winter, to preserve the leaves from damping. Varie- 
gated Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums are only few in number; 
being of trailing habit, they are very useful for vases, 
hanging baskets, &c. 
Ivy-leaved Pelargoniwms. These have now become a 
very important class, by the addition of numerous varieties 
with semi-double flowers, They are more especially 
adapted for pot culture and greenhouse embellishment 
than for other purposes, and are most valuable in 
summer and autumn, when it is desirable that plants 
under glass should be different from those so plentiful 
outside, or superior, in point of perfection, if they are 
varieties of the same thing. Several of the single- 
flowered trailing sorts are well adapted for hanging over 
vases, &c., in summer; and such may also be grown in 
pots, and trained on pyramidal or balloon-shaped trellises. 
Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums are readily increased from cut- 
tings, which may be inserted at any time when the plants 
are growing. They should be grown on throughout the 
summer, and be allowed to rest in a cool place all 
