Two noticeable bud variations are here shown on one plant. The clonal 

 variety of Pelargonium "Happy Thought" has a single large yellowish 

 green blotch in the center of each leaf. From the plant of this type here 

 shown .there arose the pure green branch shown at the right and also the 

 pure yellow branch shown at the lower left. By vegetative propagation 

 such bud sports may give new clonal varieties. Such sports must be dis- 

 carded in taking cuttings if the variety is to be kept true to name. The 

 variety Happy Thought can only be kept in cultivation by vegetative pro- 

 pagation ; none of its seed progeny show its type of variegation. 



Bud variations are rather frequent in many varieties of both ornamental 

 and fruit plants. They may involve changes in foliage, flowers, or fruits 

 as to size, shape, color, or other quality. 



In this variety, as in certain other single-flowered Pelargoniums and 

 Geraniums, the flowers are not self-pollinating. The stamens of a flower 

 shed pollen before the pistil is mature (compare 2 with 3). But usually 

 the pistils of some flowers are ready for pollination while other flowers 

 are shedding pollen so there is chance for close-pollinations and as these 

 are compatible a single plant in isolation or a group of the same clonal 

 variety will set fruit when insects carry pollen from flower to flower. 



In certain other Pelargoniums, however, the flowers are imperfect with 

 stamens aborted and only the pistils potent (as in 5 and 6). In such 

 clonal varieties, fruit setting depends on cross-pollination from a different 

 variety which has good pollen. 



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