46 MASSACHUSETTS HOETICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Strong asked whether we can imitate the climate of Eng- 

 land. 



Mr. Hovey replied that the pelargonium was a native of a hot 

 climate. They are now making their growth, and will look best 

 from this time until Ma}', while receiving the influence of the re- 

 turning sun. In England they are placed away after exhibition 

 to rest, but we repot with the hope of getting a great plant, and 

 by continuous watering and forcing they ai-e nearly ruined. They 

 should be dried off somewhat, and rested like bulbous plants ; the 

 roots die or are exhausted when they are allowed to grow contin- 

 uously. 



Mr. Hovc}^ alluded to the Pelargonium Society, lately formed 

 in England, and said that Mr. Beaton was the first to attempt the 

 improvement of this class of plants. Mr. Paul raised Mrs. Wil- 

 liam Paul. Other growers were Denny, George, Pearson, Sisley, 

 and Lemoine, the last named having originated the new double 

 varieties. Few seedlings had been raised in this country, though 

 some had been exhibited. Leonidas was one of the parents of 

 manj'^ cross-bred varieties. He hoped Mr. Gray and other culti- 

 vators would raise seedlings, for we ought not to be wholly 

 dependent upon foreign growers. The seedlings would be good, 

 and valuable to the originator for planting out, even if not worthy 

 of being named and sold. 



Marshall P. Wilder thought Mr. Gray's paper an honor to the 

 Society. In his judgment the Society should decide the question 

 of name, and it would be a point gained. A similar case is that 

 of the Draccunas and Cordylines, all the plants known to garden- 

 ers as Dracaenas being classed b}^ botanists as Cordylines. 



Mr. Graj^ did not agree with Mr. Hovey when he said that it is 

 simple and easy to raise good seedlings. We are over-run with 

 poor varieties, and no grower should send out one unless it is bet- 

 ter in some point than any other. 



President Parkman said that the difficulty of deciding upon the 

 proper name for these plants arose from the fact that we look at 

 them from both horticultural and botanical points of view, and 

 asked whether any horticultural distinction could be made, similar 

 to that of the Bourbon, Bengal, and other classes among the roses. 



Mr. Rand thought the two cases were not parallel, and that if 

 possible we should make the horticultural and botanical views 

 coincide. 



