THE PELARGONIUM. 



One of the prettiest, which I recollect was a great favorite with rne, although a small 

 flower, was named " Queenii," in which the softened color of the petal added to a pe- 

 culiarlj^ neat habit of growth, combined to give an effect of elegance which was very 

 engaging to a florist's eye. There was another, "Eldonii," which was one of the first 

 that possessed the deep suffused blotch of color covering the whole of the upper petals, 

 and wliich feature in our modern plants, forms one of their most marked characteristics : but 

 that variety was not in other respects a bit better in quality than the others of the time. 



About the year 1834 or 1835, (for I have no exact record of the date,) the floricultural 

 world were generally surprised and delighted by the advance made in the culture of this 

 family, b\' Mr. Fostkr, a gentleman residing at Clewes, near Windsor, some 25 miles 

 fiom London, who it appeared had for some time directed his attention to hybridizing the 

 perlargonium, and who then sent out his " Gem." This flower, with reference to its pre- 

 decessors, was an enormous stride towards the shape that was desired, namely, a perfect 

 circle; and to which it was a much nearer approximation than anything that had been 

 seen before. The color was good, and the foliage and habit large, and ever}' thing that 

 could be desired. Two other flowers Mr. Foster produced, I think the same season, 

 which, although not equal to his " G:)n," were still such marked improvements as to 

 excite much interest. But the " Gem " had one great fault, which, no less then than now, 

 was considered fatal to its reputation. The petals " burnt," as it was technically called 

 by the growers; that is a moderate share of sunshine caused a change of color and texture 

 to take place in the upper petals of the bloom, just at the line where the deep blotch of 

 color shaded oif into the lighter colored margin. The great advance, nevertheless, in the 

 the plant as a whole, and also as a variety from which to continue the course of hybridi- 

 zing, created a great demand for it, and also induced many florists, both in and out of the 

 trade to commence, what they had never before thought of, or else had regarded as too 

 uncertain in its results to engage their attention, the sj'stematic improvement of the 

 flower by careful hibridization. There was another flower, which about this time made a 

 great noise in the floral world, as the great man fjom whom it took its name did in po- 

 litical, namely " Washington." The color oif it was a fine crimson, and it had the 

 much esteemed qualit}' of being a good one to force early in the season, for which reason 

 it was mucin in request. 



Mr. Foster's success, thus begun, did not forsake him. " Alicea " was the name given 

 b}'^ him the following season, to a seedling which followed in the steps of his " Gem," as 

 regards general good qualities, but of a distinct class as regards color. This flower was 

 sent at the price of three guineas to the public; in stating which circumstance, it should 

 be added, however, that it was generally understood in the fancy, (and I have no doubt 

 that the fact was so,) that Mr. Foster, who is a man of property, did not sell his flowers, 

 but gave the stock of his plants to a nurseryman under some restriction as to the time 

 and mode of disposing of them; and that thus he was the founder of the fortune of one 

 of the nurserymen of London, who is considered to have made an independence principally 

 fiom this source, and ceitainly from its instrumentality. 



The impetus given to the Pelargonium culture by these flowers, was very great, and 

 thus it was that for the first time the specimens every year assumed an increased size, 

 and in the high degree of culture which the engraved specimen in the "Horticulturist " 

 referred to in the beginning of these remarks indicated. 



I was myself at the exhibition at which that sjiecimen was exhibited, and I can testify- 

 to the accuracy of the delineation, and the truthfulness of the general idea of the 

 conveyed by it. The name of that variety was " The Priory Queen,'' and I pas 



