ON PELARGONIUMS. 53 



silted mould, thus inducing the plant to form roots near the surface. 

 Early in September I take up the plant, wash the root from the dirt, 

 and divide it, seldom obtaining less than two dozen plants from each, 

 and often many more. These I plant about three inches apart, where 

 they remain until wanted for the late Autumn or Spring planting, 

 having found it necessary to plant at both these seasons, to procure 

 fine blooms for exhibition both in April, May, and June. I should 

 also recommend a much richer compost than Mr. Todd thinks neces- 

 sary, and not to attempt to bloom plants a second year. 



I must also join issue with Mr. Todd in his recommendation of 

 removing as much earth as will adhere to the roots, when transplanting 

 from his nursery into the blooming bed, as possible ; because I have 

 found the very reverse to succeed best. I have given each way a fair 

 trial, and I now always wash and shorten the roots before planting. 



{Continued from page 10.) 

 ARTICLE V.— CULTURE OF PELARGONIUMS. 



BY MR. APPLEBY. 



Third Section. — Species that have been hybridized. — This section of 

 Pelargoniums is the most numerous, not so much in plants that have 

 specific botanical distinctions, as in varieties raised from seed obtained 

 from plants, the pollen of which has been mixed with others ; these 

 varieties are almost endless, and are produced annually, chiefly by 

 nurserymen near London. 



On account of their easy culture, they are in great request for the 

 greenhouse, flower garden, and windows, both of the cottager and his 

 more opulent neighbour, and as this class of flowers affords a cheap, 

 lasting, and innocent pleasure to so many individuals, I hope I shall 

 be pardoned by my intelligent brethren, whom, of course, I do not 

 presume to instruct, if I am rather particular in directions in the culture 

 of these charming flowers. 



As this section is cultivated both for the greenhouse, and flower 

 garden to plant out in beds, I shall divide the culture into 



1. Propagation. 



2. Greenhouse management. 



3. Flower Garden management. 



1 . Propagation by Cuttings. — The best cuttings are the young tops, 

 taken off at the third or fourth joint, and the two lowest leaves pared 

 clean off with a sharp knife, if the kind to be increased is scarce, cut- 

 tings of any one year old wood may be struck, provided they have 

 two joints, one to be put in the soil, and the other to grow, but such 

 cuttings do not make such neat bushy plants. Cuttings of the roots 

 also will grow, if taken off in pretty large pieces, with some small 

 fibres attached to them. The soil for cuttings I have found to do the 

 best, is pure loam mixed with fine sand, which insure closeness round 

 the cuttings without any fermenting substance to rot the young and 



