786 



HORTICULTURE 



June 23, 1906 



Show and Decorative Pelargoniums 

 for Commercial Purposes 



Every year as our pelargoniums come in flower we 



have numerous inquiries r private individuals as to 



where they ran procure such varieties as are included 

 in our collection ami we have atways to give the same 

 answer, that so far as we know they are only to be 

 found on a few private places. We do not intimate by 

 this that there is no commercial firm which does handle 

 this line of plant-, but it' grown we are certain they are 

 not very extensively advertised; in fact, very few of 

 the large seed establishments having a nursery and 

 greenhouse department catalogue them at all. and if a 

 few varieties arc listed they are generally so poor and 

 out-of-date that the public could hardly be expected to 

 show any great interest in them. 



Eow different the conditions are in Europe, especial- 

 ly in the British Isles, where every firm of any repute 

 carries most of the new and standard varieties and in 

 nearly every home will be found a pelargonium of some 

 kind. 



We are of the opinion that our florists have not given 

 this subject their best attention so far, probably be- 

 cause they think the old slow method of growing them 

 is the only way. Pelargoniums, like many other plants, 

 will stand a Little hustling and not be any worse of it: 

 we think they rather enjoy it. The old method of grow- 

 ing them anywhere between the freezing point and 45 

 degree- i- very good for large specimen plants, or if 

 they are not required to bloom before the month of 

 June, but the florist requires something that will firing 

 quicker returns. 



It has been our custom for a few years back i ■! put 

 in a batch of cuttings about the beginning of Septem- 

 ber, when our old plants are cut back, and, for lack of 

 room in our cold greenhouse, we have grown them in 

 the carnation house, which is kepi al 52 degrees during 

 the winter months, and the result has been a nice lot 

 of plants in six-inch pots coming into bloom the latter 

 part of March or the beginning of April, just at a time 

 when we are getting weary of the usual routine of win- 

 ter flowering plants. We get larger flowers at tin- sea- 

 son than later on. probably on account of the weather 

 being cool, and the plants if put in colder quarters when 

 coming in flower will last for months. This method, 

 we think, ought to be a profitable one, even if only a 

 limited number is grown to start with. If well adver- 

 tised we are certain that private gardeners would pur- 

 chase quite a number, say in 2 1-2-inch pet- to grow on, 

 if they could be procured from a local linn. 



The cultural directions for pelargoniums arc very 

 simple, but it is the simple things we keep forgetting, 

 and the few plants we have seen on commercial places 

 bear evidence of this; they also seem to have most of 

 the abuse bestowed on them. Our cuttings are inserted 

 in -and the last week in August or the beginning of 

 September, potted off into 2 1-2-inch pots as soon as 

 ready, and when they are well started into growth the 

 tops are pinched off. They are next shifted into 4-inch 

 pots and when well established in this are pinched 

 again, and if required to flower early this second and 

 last pinching should not be done later than the middle 

 of December. About the beginning of January they 

 ought to be ready for six-inch pots, and for this potting 

 we use three parts fibery loam to one part old cow ma- 

 nure well broken up and thoroughly mixed, the soil 

 rendered quite firm in potting, otherwise the shoor- will 



lengthen more than is desirable. The plants should 

 stand as near the glass as possible and must not lie over- 

 watered during the dull winter months. A little weak 

 manure water may be given before the buds open, but 

 we think that for florists they will stand in flower much 

 longer if not fed at all. 



There is so very little difference between the show 

 and decorative varieties that we need make no distinc- 

 tion here. The show varieties have the most perfect 

 flowers and are more extensively grown, the decoiative 

 being more compact in habit and coming earlier in 

 flower. There are a great number of grand varieties, 

 but a good many come very near to each other in color. 

 The following are distinct and have proved satisfac- 

 tory in every way : 



Bridegroom, daybreak pink, maroon blotch on top, 

 fimbriated petals. Bluebeard, top petals purplish-car- 

 mine, lower petals lilac pink, center white. H. M. Stan- 

 ley, deep carmine, maroon blotch on upper petals. 

 Lady Duff, rose pink, center white. Mabel, top petals 

 dark velvet maroon, lower petals mottled with white. 

 Madame Thibaut. white, marbled with light rose, fim- 

 briated. Miss Henderson, lilac-pink, purplish-lilac 

 blotches on top petals. Mary Malet, daybreak pink, 

 orange-scarlei blotch on top petals. Mr.-. Ashley, scar- 

 let, maroon blotches. Mrs. Robert Sandiford, white. 

 Nellie Hayes, white with purple tinge, purple blotch 

 on top petals. Purity, white, delicate pink blotch on 

 upper petals. Triomphe de St. Mande, deep crimson, 

 maroon blotch on top petals. 



Rose Mme. Norbert Levavasseur 



Of the recent introductions among roses, this, the so- 

 called Baby Rambler, caused considerable comment at 

 the time it appeared. It is rarely heard of or seen in 

 any quantity, though many thousands have been dis- 

 seminated during the past two years. Adverse reports 

 have reached us in the past regarding its shortcomings 

 and, as often happens, one. sometimes becomes preju- 

 diced unduly without sufficient evidence or proper ex- 

 amination. 



When this rose was new we secured two lots, one of 

 small own-root stock, the others strong grafted plants 

 in 6-inch pots. The behavior of both under glass was 

 enough to cause vexation to the most pious, owing to 

 the persistence of mildew and red spider ; consequently 

 both lots were planted out among other roses to take 

 their chance. 



Last fall the own-root plants were banked up with 

 the H. P. varieties; the stronger grafted ones went un- 

 protected with the Crimson Ramblers, with the result 

 that the ones on own roots died while all the others 

 lived, are clean, vigorous, and covered with buds, 

 promising a great display shortly — proving that under 

 certain conditions this new introduction is a very desir- 

 able one. 



It is a sad mistake to call it the Baby Rambler; it 

 seems to have no tendency to ramble, but on the con- 

 trary is distinctly a dwarf bedding rose and, as such 

 will have a future if grafted stock is used. Roses are 

 not usually a success when used as permanent occupants 

 in the decorative way; their season is too short when in 

 bloom, and after that, the place that knows them is too 



