CULTIVATION OF THE SCARLET PELARGONIUM IX POTS. 209 



XXIV. — On the Cultivation of the Scarlet Pelargonium in 

 Pots. By Philip Conway, Earl's Court Nursery, Old 

 Brompton Road. 



(Communicated January 31, 1849.) 



Having devoted a considerable portion of my time for these 

 last twelve years to the cultivation and improvement of Scarlet 

 Pelargoniums and with the best results, and having also been a 

 successful exhibitor in this class at Chiswick as early as the year 

 1839, I am induced to give the Society a plain statement of 

 my practice, which, if followed out, will be productive of a 

 splendid and continuous display of bloom in the conservatory 

 from May till November — surely a great desideratum. 



About the middle of July select healthy plants, having from 

 two to six shoots of young wood as close to the pot as can be 

 obtained, and set them in a sunny situation. Give them little 

 water for a fortnight ; at the expiration of that period cut them 

 down, leaving about two eyes of the old wood ; set them in the 

 shade, and water sparingly until they have broken well, which 

 they will have done in about three weeks. Cease watering them 

 then for two or three days, and when thoroughly dry shake them 

 out of their pots, trim in any straggling roots, and re-pot into 

 as small pots as the roots will admit of, shaking the mould well 

 in among the fibres. "When potted set them in the shade, and 

 give them a good watering to make the soil firm, afterwards water 

 sparingly until they shall have begun to grow freely, when they 

 will require a more liberal supply, especially in dry hot weather, 

 when they may be watered twice a day all over their leaves from 

 a fine rosed pot. In about a week or ten days' time they should 

 be removed to a situation where they will be exposed to the full 

 influence of the sun during the greater part of the day. When 

 they have well filled their pots with roots, they should be shifted 

 into others two sizes larger than those they occupied, and in 

 these they should be flowered. About this stage of their growth 

 care must be especially taken to rub off all young shoots, except 

 one or two on each main branch, and these should be as equal in 

 size and strength as possible all over the plant, in order that 

 they may all flower at the same period, which they will do or 

 nearly so, provided too many be not left on the plants ; and, 

 as large trusses of flowers are more attractive than small 

 ones, though there may be double the number of the latter, it is 

 necessary to encourage the strongest and healthiest shoots only. 

 I should say that for a plant in a 6-inch pot two shoots would 

 be sufficient to leave ; for one in an 8-inch pot three or four ; 

 and for one in an 11 -inch pot from four to six. The grand point 



