NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 119 



cuttings in a shady place to dry up the wound ; this will take 

 an hour on a dry day. Then put them in the prepared pots, 

 round the edge, inclining tbe leaves inwards, so that they 

 may not touch the leaves of those in the contiguous pots in 

 the frames or in the propagating house. When a pot is 

 fTied give it a gentle watering, and set it on one side to dry 

 up the moisture on the leaves and surface of the soil ; then 

 plunge the cuttings in the frame, and shade them from the 

 san, or even from the light for a day or two. A little air 

 may also be given every day by tilting up the lights behind, 

 if in a frame. When the cuttings commence to grow they 

 should be potted off into pots two inches in diameter. A 

 small addition of well-decomposed leaf mould may be mixed 

 amongst the loam with advantage. When potted off give 

 mother gentle watering, and replace them in a frame or pro- 

 pagating house until fresh roots are formed ;' renew the 

 shading, but disuse it as soon as it is safe to do soj and then 

 give plenty of air to prevent them from being drawn up and 

 spindly. To cause them to be bushy plants, nip off the top 

 bud ; the lower side-buds will then break, and the shoots 

 from them must be again stopped as soon as they have made 

 three leaves. The plants will then be ready to receive a 

 second potting, and should be removed into the open air. 

 The above directions, as far as the cuttings are concerned, 

 relate only to the show varieties, as they are called ; but 

 fancy varieties are more difficult to increase by cuttings. 

 Insert the cuttings of these in shallow pans, one inch and 

 a-half deep, with a hole in the centre, in the usual loam and 

 sand, placing them on a shelf in the propagating house, or 

 in the frame, close to the glass, upon inverted pots. The 

 after treatment is the same as that recommended for pelar- 

 goniums. 



House. Pelargoniums require a house to themselves. 

 The span-roof form is the best, because the plants in such 

 a house grow on all sides alike. The sides should be of 

 glass, the side windows should move up and down to allow 

 a large circulation of air, and the top lights should also be 

 movable to let out the heated air. The plants should be 

 placed upon stages near to the glass. These stages ought to 

 be broad enough to allow large specimens to stand clear of 

 each other upon them. 



