JOUUNAL OF UORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



( July 11, 1867. 



has been secured, the next consideration is, how and where to 

 grow them to the best advantage. As to soil, any that can be 

 described by that most uiulescriptive of all known words, loam, 

 will grow them to perfection, provided it be deep, well drained, 

 and well manured. If a number of them be intended to be 

 grown together as a collection, the ground should be trenched 

 2J feet deep in autumn or early in winter, working in plenty of 

 good cowdung, or if that is not procurable, the oldest Cucum- 

 ber-bed will do instead. In trenching throw it up ridge-and- 

 furrow fashion, so that as much surface as possible may be 

 exposed to the action of frost and air. Pick out no stones that 

 do not actually interfere with the free use of the spade ; for 

 there can be no doubt but that many really good gardeners 

 greatly sin against themselves in this small matter when pre- 

 paring ground for crops of nearly every sort. 



In March, if dry, level the ground, and prepare for planting- 

 out by making pils 15 inches deep ; the distance between each, 

 as well as between the rows, being regulated by the scarcity or 

 otherwise of ground. Mix up as much leaf mould, rotten dung, 

 and sand as will afford a couple of spadefuls to each pit. The 

 plants if not in pots ought to be lifted with as good balls as 

 possible, and carefully planted, giving, if necessary, one good 

 watering, and then mulch. ng over with dungjust rotten enough 

 to keep it from being blown about. In a short time the flower- 

 stems will begin to rise, when the stakes must be placed, and 

 secondary shoots removed as they appear ; pinch off likewise 

 all laterals from the flower-stems whenever they show them- 

 selves ; keep them well tied up, watering copiously when needed, 

 and noble spikes of flower will more than repay all the little 

 care and labour expended upon them. 



When their beauty is past, cut them over, and dig or fork-in 

 a little good manure, and in frost mulch over with half-rotten 

 leaves and litter, drawing it well round the neck of each plant ; 

 but for small collections it is much better, if accommodation 

 can be had, to lift and pot, or pack in cold frames over 

 winter. 



As to the use of Ilollyhocks in tastefully-arranged flower 

 gardens one error should be particularly guarded against, and 

 that is. using them to e.xcess. They, as well as any other con- 

 spicuous ornaments when oft repeated, lose half their charms, 

 and fail to educe any feelings other than those of monotony and 

 weariness ; but when planted in irregular groups, or when, half- 

 hid, they shoot up singly hero and there amid dark-leaved 

 shrubs or tall graceful plants, then, although " only Holly- 

 hocks," they have an effect richer and more gorgeous than that 

 produced by many other more expensive plants. — Atkshiee 

 Gardenee. 



CLASSIFICATION OF PELAP.GONIUMS. 



I OBSERVE that at page 441 of the last volume of The Journal 

 OF HoKTicDLTUBE you divide the group of Zonal or Horseshoe 

 Pelargoniums into four sections or classes. I should also be 

 inclined to divide them into four sections, but I would slightly 

 differ from you in my mode of doing so, and perhaps you will 

 allow me to lay my views upon the subject before your readers. 

 My arrangement would be simply as follows: — Glass 1st, Green 

 Zonal Pelargoniums ; Class 2nd, Golden Zonal ditto ; Class 3rd, 

 Golden Variegated Pelargoniums ; Class 4th, Silver Variegated 

 ditto. 



Class 1st, Green Zonals, to comprise all the green-leaved 

 horseshoe varieties, and also the few sorts which do not show 

 a distinct zone, such as Tom Thumb, Christine, &c. ; but, their 

 number being so small, it would not be desirable to separate 

 them from the more numerous varieties which very properly 

 give their name to the class. 



"With regard to the Nosegay sorts, if it should be considered 

 desirable to separate tbem from the green-leaved Zonals, their 

 flowers afford a ready and accurate means of doing so. 



Class Sud. Gokleu Zonals. — This class embraces all the 

 varieties sometimes called " Bronzes," " Bronze and Gold," 

 " Golden Bicolors," &c., such as Beauty of Oulton, Mrs. Long- 

 field, &e., having a yellow, or, rather, a pale green ground 

 colour and a brown zone. Some writers upon this subject 

 appear inclined to cla.^s these varieties as Variegated Pelargo- 

 niums, and this is certainly quite a new idea. If it is ad- 

 mitted to be correct, then all varieties of the Green Zonal 

 class which exhibit the horseshoe mark are equally entitled 

 to be considered as such ; and if this be conceded, it will 

 certainly upset all the preconceived ideas which most people 

 have formed as to what constitutes a Variegated Pelargo- 

 nium. 



For my own part, I am still inclined to think that a yellow 

 or white margin is indispensable to a variegated leaf, or say, 

 a parti.il or entire absence of colouring matter from some part 

 of the leaf-surface. Tbe zone of the Pelargonium is not this, 

 but is rather something added to the leaf ; whereas variegation 

 is something abstracted or taken away from it. In short, the 

 one is coloration and the other is variegation, essentially and 

 entirely distinct from each other. 



Class 3rd would, of course, include all the golden or yellow- 

 margined varieties irrespective of zones, from Golden Chain to 

 Lady Cullum, &o. 



Class 4th would also include all the silver-margined or silver- 

 variegated sorts, such as Flower of the Day, Bijou, Italia 

 Unita, itc. ; and I would at once discard all such terms as 

 Bicolor, Tricolor, Versicolor, Sic, as only tending to lead to 

 complication and confusion. — P. Gbieve. 



VARIEGATED PELARGONIUMS AT THE BUEY 

 ST. EDMUNDS SHOW. 



I AM unable to enter into this question so thoroughly as I 

 could wish at present, and can add but little to what I have 

 already advanced in a contemporary, where I had already done 

 all that Mr. Wills suggests at page 441. 



In the main I agree with him as to the meaning that should 

 be attached to the word " variegated. It is no new rendering 

 by me, as my friends know that I have always contended fur 

 the comprehensive acceptation of the word. I am not yet con- 

 vinced that there is any physiological or botanical reason for 

 limiting the term to yellow and white ; and even it there were, 

 such facts hardly touch the question. The prize was not offered 

 from a botanical but a popular point of view. The subscribers 

 to the County cup left the matter of the prizes iu my hands. 

 My object iu suggesting this prize was to bring all the varie- 

 gated Pelargoniums that were worth seeing to Bury, so that 

 local and distant competitors might honourably contend for the 

 mastery. I had no idea that any attempt would be made to 

 limit the competition on botanical or any other technical 

 grounds. Had any hint of this been given, I would at once 

 have protested against it, and thrown the prize open for every 

 " painted leaf of whatever colour." 



I am glad that you agree with me that the word as it stands 

 in the prize schedule is comprehensive enough to include all. 

 That is the solid ground I take. It was designed to be so. 

 Had even the word " zonal" been used it would have excluded 

 many that ought to be included. 



I cannot enter into the merits of your proposed classification. 

 It may be as correct and convenient, or more so, than others; 

 and for trade and bedding-out or scientific purposes, such clas- 

 sifications may be desirable and necessary, but for competitive 

 objects most classifications would be worse than useless. What 

 practical gardeners want, and the great public outside of us 

 care to know, is not the best in any one class, but the best of 

 all for decorative purposes. If these or any other sharply 

 defined lines are laid down, Jurors would expend their skill in 

 wrangling over disputed points of classification rather than in 

 the concentration of their whole strength in truly assessing 

 comparative merit. Hence, while it may be desirable at times 

 to determine the best iu any distinct class, at a great show 

 Hke that of the Royal Horticultural Society at Bury it is infinitely 

 more important to let all classes contend with each other on 

 equal terms, and to see that the best wins. For this object 

 we must have a general term for the entire class. We find 

 such a term in the plain, common sense, grammatical mean- 

 ing of the word " variegated ;" and it is those who wish to 

 limit its application who are advocating the change, and not 

 we who find it exactly expresses our meaning. 



Neither do tbe objections to comprehension amount to much. 

 It seems that some exhibitors have accepted the word in its 

 limited sense, and have prepared their plants accordingly. 

 Well, then, this objection is balanced thus, that other exhibitors 

 have understood the word comprehensively, and have prepared 

 their plants accordingly. Each exhibitor has done his best to 

 enrich the Bury Show, and the question that now presses 

 urgently for solution is. Shall all or only a portion of those 

 exhibitors be permitted to show? 



While promising to bow to the decision of the Council of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society, I yet desire to state most em- 

 phatically that I am strongly in favour of throwing the prizes 

 in the whole of these classes open to all comers. Thus only 

 can the victors obtain their full reward, or the vanquished own 



