PEL 



[ 698 ] 



PEL 



General Culture : The ffousc.~-'Pel&x- 

 goniums, like all other large families of 

 plants, require a house to themselves, 

 and one peculiarly adapted to pro- 

 duce tine specimens. The span-roofed 

 form is the best ; and for this satisfac- 

 tory 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 upper stratum 

 of 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. The size of 

 the house will depend upon the means 

 of cultivation, and the number in- 

 tended to be grown. To exhibit collec- 

 tions of ten or twelve in number, three 

 or four times during the season, the 

 house should be at least fifty feet long, 

 and twenty feet wide. This will allow 

 a stage in the centre ten feet wide, 

 walks round it two-and-a-half feet wide, 

 and a platform all round two-and-a-half 

 feet broad. This will leave the stage 

 ten feet wide, and forty feet long, which 

 will be ample space for three rows of 

 twelve plants in each, full- sized and 

 well-grown specimens. On the plat- 

 forms next the front light, smaller- 

 sized plants may be placed to succeed 

 the other when they become unsightly 

 through the bloom being over. 



The only heat wanted is just enough 

 to keep out the frost, and the best mode 

 of obtaining that heat is by hot water 

 circulating in cast-iron pipes. (See 

 Greenhouse.) 



Compost. Procure from an old pas- 

 ture, where the grass is of a fine tex- 

 ture, as much turf, three or four inches 

 thick, as will serve to pot the collection 

 for one year ; cast it into the compost- 

 yard, and have it immediately chopped 

 up into small pieces, and, as it is done, 

 lay it up in a long ridge, facing east 

 and west, so that the sun can shine 

 upon each side morning and evening. 

 The ridge or bank should not exceed 

 two feet high, on a base of three feet 

 wide. The grassy surface and green 

 roots will soon begin to ferment during 



the process of decomposition, and the 

 gases arising will penetrate to every 

 particle of soil, and moderately enrich 

 it, quite sufficient to grow geraniums. 

 Let it be turned over every three 

 months for a year, and then it will be 

 fit for use. Unless it be very heavy, or 

 of a close texture, it will not require 

 any addition. If too heavy, add sand 

 to render it of an open texture. 



Culture of Established Plants. Cut 

 them down in July, leave them in 

 a cold pit, and in eight or ten days 

 after being cut down, and receiving 

 moisture about the tops rather than 

 among the roots, the pots may receive 

 a fair watering, as much as will reach 

 every good root. When the buds break, 

 gradually give air. When one inch in 

 length or so, take the plants to the 

 potting-bench, shake the soil from the 

 roots, examine and prune the roots a 

 little, re-shift into similar, or, what in 

 general will answer better, smaller- 

 sized pots ; place them again in the 

 cold pit, and keep close until the fresh 

 roots are running in the new soil, then 

 give air gradually until at length you 

 expose them entirely to the atmosphere ; 

 steering clear, however, of cold rains 

 and anything like frost. Plants cut 

 down in June and July, if transferred 

 to small pots, will require to be placed 

 in blooming pots in the end of October. 

 Those cut down in the end of July or 

 during August, Avill not want repotting 

 until the new year has brought length- 

 ened sunshine; and from these dif- 

 ferent successions of bloom may be ex- 

 pected. To have it fine, cleanliness, 

 air, light, room, and a temperature sel- 

 dom below 40, must be leading consi- 

 derations. During winter, unless dur- 

 ing sunshine, the temperature should 

 never be higher. After a sunny day it 

 may be from five to eight degrees lower 

 at night with impunity. In the case of 

 large plants, little stopping will be re- 

 quired after repotting. Thinning in- 

 stead will often be necessary. Hence, 

 old plants generally produce the earliest 

 bloom, as every general stopping of the 

 shoots as well as every shift given re- 

 tard the blooming period. 



PELLITOKY OF SPAIN. A'nthemispyre'- 

 thrum. 



