m 



THE CANADIAN nORTICULTDRIST. 



direotioii of the efficient lifeexperience of 

 such a inan as Mr. Hooker, or the more 

 noted Mr. EUwanger, botli practical men, 

 this powerful force beiugbrought to bear 

 at once on the result, it was indeed a 

 grand consummation in Kose produc- 

 tion. Who among us could do this and 

 proudly show such practical results 1 

 While much that is cheering has been 

 done in growing of Roses by such 

 devoted lovers of the plant as our friend 

 Mitchell shows himself to be; we are 

 happy to know that there is a popular 

 plant that comes nearer the popular 

 grasp, and may well be denominated 

 the poor man's flower, or everybody's 

 flower. This proud pre-eminence we 

 would humbly claim for the 



GERANIUM. 



We humbly consider that the world 

 is more indebted to this humbler, un- 

 j)retending and unroyal plant for its 

 tastes and refinements and embellish- 

 ment than to any other one family in 

 the long list of modern catalogues. 

 Where there is one successful Rose- 

 grower, those of ihe Geranium can be 

 numbered by hundreds. Almost every 

 family in the laud can daily look upon 

 at least one to a half dozen beautiful 

 (xeranium plants on their humble shelf, 

 or their more cramped and scanty win- 

 dow sUl. They watch the beautiful 

 leaves expand in the light, and the 

 tender bud clusters of promise, and the 

 opening mass of brilliants equal to any 

 rose with the greatest delight ; and 

 mother is the gardener. Only think, 

 and try to take in, if you can, the ' 

 aggregate educating influence of this 

 one plant on the masses of Christendom ? ' 

 Is it not past our feeble efforts at cal- 

 culation 1 Where is the Rose in its 

 every-day influence beside the Ger- 

 anium '? Our powers of description, so 

 unlike those of yonr correspondent, fail 

 us to do anything like justice to any 

 one member of this interesting family 



of jiopular plants. We can only at- 

 tempt an enumeration of a few of the 

 most desirable in the several classes. 

 And here it is well for ns to remember 

 that, as in the case of Roses, so in the 

 case of Geraniums, we are ever indebted 

 to the practical, skilled growers of Eng- 

 land and the Continent for the newest 

 and best strains. In Roses there is 

 annually imported the latest and newest 

 strains and variations of such noted 

 growers as the Bennetts, W. Paul & 

 Son, Turner and others. In Geraniums, 

 the latest and most admirable strains 

 (and they ai-e to be wondered at) come 

 from the houses of H. Cannell it Sons, 

 and others. These importations are 

 constantly' adding to our floral treasures. 

 Some of the best of the single flowering 

 Geraniums are : Jealou.sy, Dr. Denny, 

 Jennie Dodds, Col. Holden, Samuel 

 Plimsol, Mrs. Whiteley, Bishop Simp- 

 son, and several others newly brought 

 out and beautiful specimens worthy of 

 our admiration. 



The Double Geraniums : — Bataclan, 

 Dr. Phinney, Bishop Wood, Henry 

 Cannell, James Vick, Queen Victoria, 

 Mrs. Charles Pease, Mrs. Hay, itc. 



Although the flowers of the Geranium 

 are not sweetly scented like the Rose, 

 yet it has a rich and varieel inheritance 

 of sweet scent stored in its beautiful 

 leaves. The most noted scents ai'e 

 Apple, Penny Royal, Lemon, Pepper- 

 mint, Almond, Rose, Balm, Nutmeg, 

 Citron, and several others distinctly 

 marked. 



In Foliage Geraniums, the fine 

 Bronze varieties are perfectly handsome. 

 Also the Cloth of Gold, and the more 

 wonderful Happy Thought. Then the 

 Silver Bicolors, as the Mount of Snow, 

 and the beautiful Silver Queen, and 

 Cannell's Freak of Nature, ifec. 



The Golden and Silver Tricolors are 

 perhaps the most wonderful of all, and 

 always command our admiration. The 

 Ivy- Leaved section is also truly remark- 



