of Rnral Art and Taste. 



205 



variegated, with a liost of the striped and 

 deeply zoned kinds. 



Tlien the arrangement of planting is snnple 

 and very attractive ; the bed is edged with 

 the gold and silver kinds, they being kept 

 dwarf for the purpose, then rows of various 

 other kinds run around the circle from side 

 to center. The aspect of this bed in bloom 

 is enchanting ; numerous strong and vigorous 

 peduncles emerge from between the rich 

 foliage bearing trusses of blossoms of all the 

 desirable colors. The masses of fiery red, 

 orange, scarlet, carmine, crimson, yellow, and 

 pure white blossoms reflecting their beautiful 

 colors on the rich varied foliage, is a sight to 

 dazzle the eyes of the beholders. 



The geranium suffers considerably when 

 removed from the open ground to pots in the 

 fall ; the roots not being bushy, they sever 

 from the soil very easily ; the consequence is, 

 that the foliage partly or nearly all withers, 

 and it will take them the biggest part of winter 

 to recover their foliage, whereas, if transferred 

 successfully from the beds to winter quarters, 

 their growth would not receive the least 

 noticeable check, and we may look to that 

 department for abundance of gorgeous blos- 

 soms during the winter months. My horti- 

 cultural friends are astonished at my successes 

 in transferring geraniums from the open ground 

 into pots, but they were ignorant of the mode 

 I practiced to insure success. The method is 

 simply this : holes being made the necessary 

 depth to receive the plants, place on the 

 bottom of each hole a j)iece of tough sod fresh 

 from the pasture ; on removing from the pots 

 scrape from the base of the ball a portion of 

 the soil and place the lower roots naked on 

 the sod, press the soil tightly around, the 

 roots will penetrate the sod and the plants 

 will flourish during summer, and in fall there 

 will be no difficulty experienced in removing 

 them to the house or greenhouse. Plants of 

 this kind intended for winter blooming should 

 be dwarfed or cut back a month or six weeks 

 before the time of their removal ; this will 

 enable the plants to force young branches 

 that will, under judicious treatment, bloom 

 the comina: December. 



Prominent among the many colors and 

 varieties in my geranium bed is the new 

 double white species, "Aline Sisley." Those 

 who have seen it pronounce it the best 

 variety added to the Pelargonium family 

 for years. It was received by me last Feb. 

 among a package of others from Peter Hen- 

 derson's greenhouses, Jersey City Heights. 

 I have watched its progress diligently and find 

 it possesses peeularities similar to none of the 

 older kinds ; a gardener friend suggested his 

 preference to it in foliage to any of the 

 other varieties in bloom. In pot it presents 

 the appearance of a pyramidal growing very 

 dwarf and compact, a very picture of neatness 

 and simplicity not to be excelled by anything 

 of the kind we have yet seen. Branching 

 directly above the surface it makes more pro- 

 gress in circumference than in height ; the 

 lower leaves have a tendency to droop, nearly 

 resting on the rim of the pot, almost conceal- 

 ing the entire surface. From the second 

 lower layer the leaves bend gently upward 

 and close in a mass at the top. The leaves 

 of this variety are thick, tough, and slightly 

 serrated at the edges, veins are numerous on 

 the under side of the leaf, strong and thick, 

 only branching when they near the edges. 

 More than one-half the leaves' surface is 

 deeply marked with a broad, dark brown 

 colored zone, leaving a center and margin of 

 the purest green. The flower stem makes its 

 way out boldly from among the mass of com- 

 pact foliage, bearing a large tuft of buds 

 perfectly double and of snowy whiteness. 

 This species is a valuable addition to the 

 Pelargonium family; its utility for outdoor 

 bedding or indoor decoration could not be 

 over estimated ; it is yet destined to occupy 

 a prominent place in every floral collection. 

 I will, ere the summer is over, take another 

 look at my geranium /bed and note the points 

 of interest for The Horticulturist. 



Ci7ici?t/i.atz. 



The "Aaron cup," a California flower, 

 measures two feet eight inches from the base 

 to the tip. 



