PELARGONIUM. 



Greenltouse and Stove Plants 



271 



of half loam and sand, the remainder all 

 sand ; give a little water, but do not make 

 the soil too wet. An ordinary frame, with 

 plenty of air continually on, fully exposed 

 in the open air at this season will answer. 

 When well rooted put them singly in 

 3-inch pots, using good loam with some 

 rotten dung and a little sand added ; pot 

 firm, pressing the soil well down. Keep 

 rather close in a frame or house for a week, 

 with a little water, but not so much as 

 many things would bear. When top 

 growth has fairly begun pincli out the 

 points of the shoots, stand close to the glass 

 with plenty of air in the daytime and no 

 shade. Keep the soil drier through the 

 autumn, and towards the end of the year 

 move them into 5 or 6 inch pots, still keep- 

 ing them as near the roof as possible in an 

 airy house, with a little heat on cold nights, 

 so as to keep the temperature about 45°. 

 Pelargoniums will do with less warmth 

 than this, but are better with it. Tie out 

 the shoots horizontally close dowTi to the 

 rims of the pots ; if this is not attended to 

 while the growth is soft and pliable it can- 

 not be done afterwards. Give much less 

 water than most things require, and never 

 apply it in the winter season until the soil 

 is all but quite dry, for the roots of Pelar- 

 goniums are at all times less able to bear 

 the soil in a wet state than almost any 

 other plants ; even in spring, when in full 

 growth, care must be taken in this matter, 

 particularly with the fancy varieties. If 

 the i3lants are wanted to bloom early the 

 shoots must not be stopped again, but if to 

 flower later pinch out the points again 

 when potted the second time. When the 

 bloom buds are visible give weak manure- 

 Avater once a week ; shade from the sun 

 when in flower. After blooming turn the 

 plants out-of-doors for two or three weeks 

 to ripen the shoots, giving little water, 

 then head them down to within two or 

 three eyes of the bottom, and stand them 

 in a frame so that they may not get wet by 

 heavy rains ; apply no water to the soil 

 except by syringing once a day. As soon 

 as they have broke into growth shake 

 away most of the old soil, and return the 

 plants to the same pots with new. Keep 

 them close for a week or two with little 

 water to the soil, still sprinkling them over- 

 head with the syringe in the afternoons. 

 When the roots have had time to move, 

 and shoot growth has made a little pro- 

 gress, give water. Treat afterwards as 

 advised through the preceding autumn, 

 and again about November give pots an 

 inch or two larger ; thus managed the 

 plants will last many years. Eight-inch 

 pots are big enough for Pelargoniums 



of any kind, however large or old they 

 may be ; by shaking out as advised after 

 flowering the soil gets renewed, and by the 

 use of manure- water in the height of the 

 growing season they may be grown to a 

 large size. The early blooming varieties 

 of ]Pelargonium,with elegant frilled flowers, 

 are now deservedly in favour ; they bloom 

 profusely through the late winter and early 

 spring months, and also in the summer, if 

 the shoots are stopped as ali'eady suggested. 

 Their treatment is in no way difl'erent, 

 except that for early flowering they must 

 be kept warmer in the winter. 



The Zonal vaiieties, double and single, 

 are the best foi' autumn and winter bloom- 

 ing, for which purpose plants should be 

 prepared by striking cuttings in spring, 

 and growing them on with plenty of light 

 and abundance of air through the summer, 

 keeping them in the autumn and on during 

 the winter as near the glass as can be in 

 a temperature of 48° or 50°, with air 

 on night and day. This section, as 

 also the Xosegay varieties, are not so im- 

 patient of water as the kinds first tieated 

 of. The Bronze varieties will succeed with 

 treatment in all respects similar to the 

 Zonals. 



The Tricolor section, both the silver and 

 gold vaiieties, are slower growers than the 

 kinds cultivated for their flowers, an(] 

 should have less pot-room until they have 

 gained size ; their propagation and after 

 treatment is such as recommended for the 

 large-flowered and fancy kinds. The same 

 applies to the Ivy-leaved varieties, which 

 have been much improved of late, and are 

 deserving of being extensively grown in 

 hanging baskets, and for general decorative 

 use. 



The treatment detailed applies to all 

 the sections of Pelargonium except the 

 Cape sjiecies and their hybrids, which are 

 best increased by root cuttings made of 

 bits of the strong roots ; they should be 

 cut in lengths of about an inch and inserted 

 in sand so as to just leave the top above 

 the surface. They may be struck in spring 

 standing them in a temperature of 55° or 

 60°, and keeping them slightly moist but 

 not wet or too close ; when they have 

 made 2 or 3 inches of top growth, pot them 

 singly, and treat subsequently as advised 

 for the others. These Cape species are 

 weak growers, and must have less pot- 

 room than the other kinds. 



The lemon-scented sorts of Pelargonium 

 grown for their perfume, and their elegant 

 Fern-like leaves, so well adapted for using 

 amongst cut flowers, require to be treated 

 in their several stages like the flowering 

 varieties. 



