THE PELARGONIUM CITRIDORA. 



271 



A friend has obliged me with the following lines, paraphrased from 

 the Greek of Meleager. « This delicious little Greek poem," says he, 

 '< is one of those which I always seem to scent the very odour of, as it 

 1 held a bunch of flowers to my face." 



" A flowery crown will I compose — ■ 

 I'll weave the crocus, weave the rose ; 

 I'll weave nareissus, newly wet. 

 The hyacinth, and violet ; 

 And myrtle shall supply me green, 

 And lilies laugh in light between : 



That the rich tendrils of my beauty's hair"' _ , . „, 

 May burst into their crowning flowers, and light the painted air. ,j 



I 



THE PELARGONIUM CITRIDOEA. (Citron-scented.) 

 The Citron-scented Geranium (as it is still termed) was once almost 

 a universal flivourite, and an inmate of, very probably, nearly every 

 greenhouse ; I am sorry to have to state it is now very seldom to be 

 seen in the collections of this country. The reason for such neglect 

 may have arisen from the circumstance of the flowers having but little 

 show, or from some slight difficulties in its successful culture. Although 

 these particulars may have operated so unfavourably, yet the sweet 

 frao-rance of its minute leaves alone entitles it to every attention, and 

 to°enjoy its delightful perfume most amply repays for all labour 

 bestowed upon it. There is, too, the valuable acquisition it affords in 

 its supply to furnish bouquets during the dull months of winter. 



In winter the plant is very liable to injury from dampness, but this 

 may be obviated, as it likes to dwell in a cool and dry atmosphere at 

 this season. Cuttings, too, when in the process of striking, are very 

 apt to damp off', and require much care and attention during this stage 

 of treatment. I have often given a sprig of it to inexperienced culti- 

 vators, and, allured by its sweet-scented properties, the receiver has 

 attempted to strike it, by inserting it quite carelessly by the side ot 

 any old plant growing in a flower-pot, in poor garden mould, and in 

 numerous instances I have seen success follow. The most successful 

 way I have proved in striking the plant is by inserting the cuttings 

 into gravel which is finely sifted, adding to it a small portion of siWer 

 sand, and by keeping them air-tight they strike most freely. Ihe 

 easiest and surest way to produce a stock of plants is by seed. It must 

 be sown immediately it is ripe in flat pans, in the above-named mixture 

 of gravel and sand, and potted singly as soon as strong enough Ihe 

 plants do not come quite so true the first season as by cuttings, but age 

 will be the cause of their becoming like the parent, if the seed be 

 true to kind. Tliis true character may be obtained by having a plant 

 grown in a house where no other Pelargonium is, or at some distant 



situation. , - . ^ t ^ t.\ 



I siiall be pleased if my bringing this lovely, fragrant plant to the 

 notice of tiie readers of the Cabinet result in promoting a more ex- 

 tensive culture of so charming a class. I have recently discovered, m 

 a collection of Pelargoniums near my own residence, tlie following 



