332 THE HYACINTH. 



flower garden. Well, this is by no means a sine qua non 

 of success. We recommend it, but do not insist on it. 

 The convenience of the cultivator must determine the 

 matter. But if a soil be unusually light and poor it 

 should be enriched and watered abundantly; if close and 

 heavy it should still be enriched, and will usually be 

 improved by mixing with it a good proportion of clean 

 road or river sand. 



ZONAL PELARGONIUMS IN WINTER 



[From "The Gardeners' Chronicle? December Wi 1866, p. 1163.] 



THE rain of a gloomy December day has driven me 

 into my house of Zonal Pelargoniums, now in full 

 bloom. I am temporarily a prisoner, but cannot be idle. 

 How beautiful these Pelargoniums are ! how gorgeous the 

 colours ! and what a contrast they present to the leafless 

 trees and sombre evergreens which I have just quitted. 

 Scarlet and other warm coloured flowers which abound 

 here, seem to me particularly cheering in winter. I know 

 of no flower, not even the varied and gorgeous Chrysan- 

 themum, more lovely ; and there is none so useful for 

 bouquets at this season of the year. Conspicuous among 

 them for freedom of flowering, and variety and novelty of 

 tint, are Beaton's Hybrids and their successors, which are 

 literally covered with trusses, and seem as if they would go 

 on blooming throughout the winter. Judging from present 

 appearances, I think I am right in assuming that these 

 hybrids bear the same relation to the ordinary Zonals 

 that the Perpetual Carnations and Perpetual Roses do to 

 the common kinds of those flowers. On analysing them 

 and arranging them as to colour, what a charming variety 

 they afford ! Of pure whites, Madame Vaucher and Virgo 

 Maria are perhaps the best ; Bride is white with a crimson 

 eye, and Madame Werle is creamy-white laced with crim- 



