62 THE CULTURE OF POT-I'LANTS 



slender species, N. gracilis, is excellent for hanging baskets. 

 There is no difficulty about their cultivation. Both can be 

 propagated by seed or cuttings. 



Pelargonium. — This genus may be roughly divided into 

 four classes — show or fancy, zonal (popularly known as 

 geraniums), ivy-leaved, and scented-leaved. The majority of 

 species are natives of the Cape, and are therefore more 

 accustomed to periods of drought than plants which grow 

 in moister climates. The show or fancy class is derived from 

 F. grandiflorum ; zonals are hybrids of F. zona/e, the horse-shoe 

 geranium, so called because of the dark horse-shoe zone on 

 the foliage ; the ivy-leaved varieties are hybrids of P. peltatum ; 

 and the scented-leaved of F. qiiercifoliimi, the oak-leaved 

 geranium. Pelargoniums can easily be raised from seed, and 

 will flower in the second year; but named varieties must be 

 propagated by cuttings, partly ripened shoots taken off in 

 August, or, for late flowers, in spring. When the cuttings 

 are rooted they should be potted flrmly in light, well-drained 

 soil, and should be kept fairly dry in winter — when the 

 temperature is low, quite dry. When growth commences 

 they require more water, and they should be "stopped" once 

 or twice to make them bushy. As young plants produce the 

 finest flowers, it is a common practice to propagate pelargoniums 

 afresh every year, and to throw the old plants away ; but even 

 if they are kept they should be cut back in August in order 

 to induce new shoots to start lower down. There are no 

 better plants for hanging baskets than ivy-leaved pelargoniums, 

 not only because they are less injured by dryness than most 

 others, but also because they flower so profusely. All classes 

 of pelargoniums are remarkably fiee from disease, few pests 

 attacking them. One of the commonest causes of ill-health 

 among them is excessively deep planting. 



Plumbago. — Of this genus the most suitable species for 

 pots in an ordinary greenhouse is P. capefisis, which has spikes 

 of lavender-blue flowers towards the end of the summer. It 

 really is a climber, but if propagated by cuttings in spring 

 and kept dwarf — the soil should therefore be porous and 

 rammed firm — it flowers well as a small bush. It should be 



