76 



THE GERANIUM AND ITS CULTURE. 



into numerous stems and those, only grown 

 into one or a few, will be so striking- as to 

 make the flowers appear different varieties. 

 Mr. Beck, who has a great dislike to sticks, 

 but must nevertheless grow according to 

 the rules of exhibitions, directs the sticks to 

 lie so placed, and to be of such length, that 

 they cannot be seen above the base of the 

 tlower stalks ; and he very properlj^ re- 

 marks, and it is going part of the road with 

 us, that the truss that will not support it- 

 self is unfit for the amateur's stage. We 

 go farther, and maintain that the plant 

 whose branches will not support themselves, 

 is unfit for cultivation or exhibition, though 

 we know many approved varieties are of 

 this faulty nature. 



GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF SHOW PLANTS. 



The enormous specimens which we oc- 

 casionally see at exhibitions, are as easily 

 produced as small ones. There is no more 

 merit, although there is more labor. A ge- 

 ranium could be grown as large as a goose- 

 berry bush, with nothing but additional 

 work, that is caused by the difference of 

 weight. 



GROWTH OF LARGE SPECIMENS. 



A very simple set of rules decides the 

 number of branches on a geranium, as well 

 as on any other plant of similar habit. By 

 taking away the top from a cutting as soon 

 as it has struck and been potted singly, and 

 down to within three eyes of the ground, 

 tliese eyes will send forth three branches, 

 and as soon as these have grown so as to 

 have two e3^es to leave on, they may be 

 topped ; from each of these, two more 

 branches are emitted. This kind of check 

 is to be accompanied by occasional shifts 

 from small to larger pots as soon as the 

 roots fairly reach the side, and begin to 

 meet or grow round the outside : in the 

 course of this treatment it will be found 

 that many branches will come where they 

 are in each other's way ; those which would 

 cross or crowd each other must be regulated 

 by taking away the one most in the way, 

 and due regard must be always had to the 

 general form of the plant ; but it is quite 

 certain that by this constant plan of short- 

 ening the branches as they come forward 

 the form may be adjusted to anything. In 

 all the shifts the plant may be lowered in 

 the pot if necessary, to bring down the foli- 



age to the rim of the pot, for nothing looks 

 worse than a vacancy between the pot and 

 the foliage. It is only necessary to continue 

 this till all the buds begin to rise and bloom, 

 when they may all be picked off, and the 

 plant may have all the air, and sun, and 

 rain ; in short, it maybe placed in the open 

 garden, where it would be sheltered from 

 high winds. Towards the middle of Au- 

 gust it may be deprived of water and cut 

 in, and the branches maybe thinned, so as 

 to form a good skeleton of a plant. It may 

 then be repotted. In cutting in the plant, 

 you must recollect that it is to form the 

 foundation of the next year's enlarged 

 growth, and therefore it requires thinning 

 as well as cutting back. You have to make 

 allowance for a new and fresh growth from 

 the old wood. As the plants will require 

 all the air they can have safely, it is better 

 to remove them to a pit or frame, where 

 they can be left wholly uncovered when 

 necessary, and be kept from cold, excess of 

 wet, high wind, and the very hot and bright 

 sun. As soon as there is any danger of 

 frost they must be removed to the green- 

 house, and abundant room must be given 

 to the plants, to prevent them being drawn 

 up. As the new growth comes you must 

 rub off the shoots that are in each other's 

 way, and stop any that are growing too 

 vigorously, for the great object is to pre- 

 serve a uniformity in the growth, and if 

 any shoot or shoots take to growing faster 

 than the rest, the discrepancy would be in- 

 creased as the plant advanced. As soon as 

 the shoots attain a length sufficient to leave 

 two giod joints, the tops may be taken off, 

 and the plant may undergo the same treat- 

 ment in every respect that is given to the 

 younger ones. The abundance of shoots 

 will enable you to choose which you leave 

 on ; and by occasionally examining them, 

 and taking off the superfluous growth, the 

 plants will become as handsome on a large 

 scale as the smaller ones ; but to follow the 

 fashion of the day, you will be forced to 

 place short sticks to the branches, so as to 

 regulate the flowers, which would otherwise 

 be thick in some places and thin in others ; 

 whereas it is considered necessary to have 

 them constrained with a little gentle vio- 

 lence if required, so as to be at pretty 

 nearly equal distances all over the plant 



