LECTURE ON HYBRID PELARGONIUM GRANDIFLORUM NANUM. 461 
- absent. I believe this variety was also a hybrid between Pelargoniwm 
grandiflorum and Pelargonium roseum (rosodorum). 
I have come to the conclusion that one may make the following rule 
with regard to pelargoniums—namely, that every hybrid which has 
inherited an equal number of features from both parents is always 
infertile, and those only are fertile which incline more to one side, and 
that the female side. 
I had much trouble in producing deep, dark blotches in the scarlet. 
At first, all the fiery-red blooms were without markings—‘ Fireball,’ 
‘Perle von Halberstadt,’ &c. Later on I succeeded in getting a small 
dark marking in ‘Fr. Engel,’ but even this was not velvety enough. 
Only after I had crossed this fiery-red strain with a violet did it present 
larger, darker, velvety blotches. But through crossing with the violet 
I had spoilt my fiery-red, which had been obtained with so much trouble, 
as then there appeared more of a carmine colour. 
I crossed and recrossed them a multitude of times before I arrived at 
a fiery-red with beautiful dark blotches, as in ‘ Andenken an Wildpark’ 
and ‘ C. Holzmann.’ 
Tam still striving to get more of the influence of the zonals into my 
strain, because by so doing I hope to ultimately make it free from aphides. 
In my latest novelties there appears also to be more peltatwm influence 
than formerly, and this shows its effect in a remarkable manner in the 
progeny. 
I had not set any great store by the crossings with peltatwm, because 
I had not found anything remarkable as the direct results therefrom. 
I only arrived at a violet variety, ‘Grossmiitterchen,’ in which the 
parentage was easily detected by the form of its blooms and the scent of 
its foliage. However, this plant disappeared ten years ago, because I did 
not think it sufficiently worthy to take the place of a female plant in my 
hybridisations. Since that time I have never crossed with peltatum 
again. So much the greater, therefore, was my astonishment when a 
few years ago a seedling came to me which certainly owed its -parentage 
to peltatum: 
(1) By the smell of its leaves, and 
(2) By the peculiar sort of hoariness of the upper parts. 
This is the variety “‘ Ballkénigin,’’ one of my best, for it succeeds 
splendidly in window boxes, and on balconies and in sheltered positions 
in the open, and blooms the whole summer through. 
It goes without saying that I tried to reproduce these excellent 
qualities in all my new varieties. I therefore owe my best results at the 
present time to “ Ballkénigin”’ and to the peltatwm influence, in spite 
of the fact that I had trusted it least of all. 
Moreover, it seems to me that the blooms of these later varieties stand 
better—that is, they do not drop off so easily, which would certainly be a 
decided improvement, as then the blooms would be more valuable as cut 
flowers. On the other hand, the dropping-off of the petals is a promising 
sign because as soon as the seed-vessel has been fertilised, the blossom 
sheds its petals. 
The artificial fertilisation of pelargoniums is in the highest degree 
easy and the result may be depended upon, since the pistil is so 
