PEL 



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PEL 



is too great, to reduce the temperature to 

 55 or 60. The cuttings must be fre- 

 quently examined, to see if roots fire 

 formed ; and as soon as they are an inch 

 long, pot them off immediately into the 

 smallest 60-pots, which are generally 

 about two inches diameter. A small ad- 

 dition of well - decomposed leaf -mould 

 may be mixed amongst the loam with ad- 

 vantage. When they are finished potting 

 off, give another gentle watering, and re- 

 place them in the frame or propagating- 

 house until fresh roots are formed ; renew 

 the shading, but disuse it as soon as it is 

 safe to do so, and then give plenty of air, 

 to prevent them being drawn up and 

 spindly. To cause them to become bushy 

 plants furnished with branches close to 

 the pot, nip off the top bud ; the lower 

 side buds will then break and push forth, 

 and these 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 remarks and directions, so 

 far as the cuttings are concerned, relate 

 only to the (as they are called) show va- 

 rieties. There is another class of pelar- 

 goniums, which are denominated fancy 

 yarieties. These are more difficult to in- 

 crease by cuttings. Place the cuttings in 

 shallow pans, one and a half inch only 

 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 topsy- 

 turned pots. The cuttings are made very 

 short, with a portion of the old wood at 

 the bottom of each. Very little water is 

 given till the callosities are formed, when 

 it is given more freely, and then roots 

 make their appearance, when they are 

 immediately potted off, and the usual 

 treatment followed. 



By Buds. Make a shallow pan ready 

 for them, by first putting in a portion of 

 pure loam and sand, then a covering of 

 pure sand alone, give a gentle watering 

 to settle it, and then prepare the buds. 

 Take a shoot of moderate strength, cut 

 off the leaves, but not quite close to the 

 stem, then cut off the two lowest buds, 

 leaving about a quarter of an inch of 

 wood below each bud. After that, split 

 the shoot containing the two buds down 

 the centre. If the two buds are not ex- 

 actly opposite, but one a little below the 

 other, the upper one must be shortened 



below the bud to the proper length. The 

 upper cut should be very nearly close to 

 the bud. Make a sufficient number ready 

 at once to fill the pan or pot, and plant 

 them, using a short, blunt stick a degree 

 thicker than the bud -cutting. Insert 

 them so as only to leave the bud just 

 above the sand. Plant them close to, and 

 round the edge of the pan, placing the 

 cut side close against the pot, which will, 

 of course, place the bud side inwards. 

 Then fill up the holes with a little dry 

 sand, and water gently again. Place them, 

 either in a propagating-house, a shady 

 part of a stove near the glass roof, or in 

 a frame. Shade from bright sunshine in 

 whatever situation they are placed, and 

 water as required. The buds will soon 

 break and show leaves, shortly to be fol- 

 lowed by a shoot. 



By Roots. Some kinds of Fancy Pelar- 

 goniums, and most of the Cape original 

 species, are difficult to increase by any of 

 the above methods. In such cases there 

 is left the mode of increase by cuttings 

 of the roots. This is almost certain of 

 success. Take an old plant, shake off 

 carefully all the soil, and cut the roots 

 into short pieces, retaining as many fibres 

 as possible to each. Put each root-cutting 

 singly into as small pots as they can be 

 got into, leaving the top just visible. 

 Place them in the house, or frame, ap- 

 propriated to propagation ; give a gentle 

 watering, and shade effectually. New 

 roots will soon push forth, and then 

 shoots will appear, generally in clusters. 

 When that takes place, reduce the shade, 

 to give colour to the leaves and strength 

 to the shoots. As these advance in 

 growth, thin them gradually, by slipping 

 one or two off at a time, till finally they 

 are reduced to one which is to form the 

 future plant. As soon as this shoot at- 

 tains the height of two or three inches, 

 nip off the top to cause side-shoots to 

 grow, and so form a neat, bushy plant. 



General Culture : the House. Pelargo- 

 niums, like all other large families of 

 plants, require a house to themselves, and 

 one peculiarly adapted to produce fine 

 specimens. The span-roofed form is the 

 best, and for this satisfactory reason 

 that the plants in such a house grow on 

 all sides alike. The sides of the house 

 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 moveable, to let out the 



