CULTURE OP THE PELARGONIUM. HI 



made a quantity of lateral shoots, and these will be raised up by the 

 rays of liglit ; and tlie stems having been in this bent position so long-, 

 may be safely pegged down to the ground, and covered with earth ; 

 and sliould tiie weather prove fine and warm, each stem will make a 

 ro\y of flowers, though not so large and fine as the heads that have been 

 taken off, but still make a gay appearance. Each joint will make good 

 roots, and cause a large increase if plants are wanted. 



Now, Mr. Editor, as I dislike mystery in any part of floriculture, I 

 was quite pleased with this simple process, and strongly recommend it. 

 No cutting, no breaking, no loss, but certain success. 



CULTURE OF THE PELARGONIUxM, 



Br MB. PARKER, GARDENER TO D. OUGHTON, ESQ., OF ROEHAMPTON, 



NEAR LONDON. 



As Mr. Parker is universally admitted to be one of the best growers 

 of Geraniums in the kingdom, perhaps the following- account of the 

 way in which he manages his exhibition plants may not prove unin- 

 teresting. To begin : he strikes his cuttings, M'hich are obtained as 

 soon as the wood is thoroughly ripe, under hand-glasses in the open 

 ground, watering them very slightly for a week or two, but exposing 

 them to dews at night. When they are well rooted, tiiey are lifted and 

 potted in turfy loam, two-year-old cow-dung, some peat and silver 

 sand, all well mixed together, and placed on an efficient drainage. 

 Tlie plants are then set in a cold frame, and kept close in the day-time 

 till they have become established ; but they are left open at niglit. 

 Ultimately the lights are oft' during both day and night ; and, as soon 

 as they will bear it, they are placed on boards, exposed to all weathers, 

 until the long, cold, late autumn nights cause them to be placed in-doors. 

 The main point in their out-door treatment is, never to allow them to 

 get water-logged or stunted in their growth. They receive a shift in 

 November, using the compost mentioned above witliout the peat. They 

 are again shifted in February, and each shoot stopped at tiie fourth 

 joint. Lateral shoots are then produced, and these are tied out hori- 

 zontally, so as to form the basis of the future specimen. The lateral 

 shoots are also stopped, and by these means plenty of wood is obtained 

 for large plants in the following season. But Mr, Parker has another 

 mode of proceeding, which is, to take strong plants in April or May, 

 pot them in Il-inch pots, place them out of doors, and pick the flowers 

 off them throughout the season. Next year they are fit for exhibition. 

 The plants tliat are to blossom in May are never stopped after they 

 arc cut down in July. The June plants are stopped early in January, 

 and those for July in February. To grow Geraniums successfully, 

 Mr. Parker finds that much depends on their winter treatment. They 

 should not receive too much water or fire-heat, and the wood should 

 be well ripened before they are allowed to flower, if a fine head of 

 bloom is wanted. Mr. Parker's general time for cutting down is 

 between the first week of July and the middle of August, according to 

 tiie ripeness of the wood. When the plants have fairly broken, the 



