64 



Bicolor. 



Gold and Bronze. 



Silver and Bronze. 



Scarlet Tom Thumb. 



The tricolor and bicolor kind will not thrive well at Bangalore, 

 numbers of the best kinds have been imported from England in 

 wardian cases, and many pounds sterling spent in seed of the 

 hybridized kinds, but they alljose their bright colours and de- 

 generate to the green zonale, the only one that really keeps its 

 colour is a gold and bronze seedling raised by General Haines 

 there three years ago, which at times preserves its true tints, 

 and has been extensively propagated. Mrs. Pollock, Italia 

 Unita Bullian, &c., have been failures. 



Avoiding then going further into the culture of the tricolor and 

 bicolor class, it will be safe only to cultivate the large flowering 

 and Nosegay and Scarlet T. Thumb kinds, these do very well at 

 Bangalore, and may be raised from seed almost all the year round, 

 and by cuttings from July to February. Plants raised from seed, 

 are the most compact and shapely, the old plants lose their leaves 

 and run much to wood, the cuttings the same, though in a less 

 degree, but a collection of 8 months old seedlings are excellent 

 specimens, the seed should get a soaking shower to start them, 

 and after that be kept out of heavy rain while very young, and 

 partially protected during midday sun till they have 6 to 8 

 leaves which then protect them effectively, geraniums, however, 

 as a rule, like shade cast over them during part of the day instead 

 of exposure to the sun from morning till night. 



In the cold weather bandicoots often attack geraniums, and in 

 the rains the large grub, or lava of the cockchaper destroy plants 

 left in the ground, so much so, that very few survive through the 

 monsoon, if in the beds, people may see a fine healthy plant of 

 geranium suddenly droop, on examining under the roots, one of 

 these grubs or more, will be found gnawing away the soft wood. 

 To avoid thus the geranium should be kept in pots from March 

 till November, when the grub pest is over. A nosegay geranium 

 is a zonale, the petals being long and narrow and the three front 



