250 [Assembly 



ert Sweet counted no less than 730 kinds. The odor of the Pel- 

 argonium does not reside in its flowers for they are constantly 

 without perfume — but ^t is in the leaves of the plant entirely. 

 It is agreeably only in a few species. In their conservatories 

 they should begin to get the sun at about eleven o'clock in the 

 morning. Light (says Neumann) is a part of the very existence 

 of the Pelargonium. 



This plant is propagated both by seeds and slips. Erom the 

 seeds come new varieties. When you have made choice of two 

 varieties which you desire to cross — you must reserve the strong- 

 est plant of the two to raise seed, and, at the moment it is in flow- 

 er, take away very carefully all the stamina, without wounding the 

 style, then cut off neatly, without any tearing, the style of the 

 flower which is to fecundate the first, leaving nothing but its 

 stamina. When the flower is perfectly opened, take off" the mu- 

 tilated flower, hold it by its stem delicately, and rub its anthers 

 very lightly over tlie style of the plant whicli is to bear the hy- 

 brid seed ; after doing this to as many flowers as you please, take 

 off the residuum of the flowers to . give strength to those which 

 you have fecundated. After the operation, place the fecundated 

 plants in a sheltered place, and away from the rest of your ..Pe- 

 largoniums. 



CALCEOLARIA {slipper flowers,) 



are shaped a little like a slipper or a pocket. Introduced into 

 Europe in 1773, and almost forgotten until 1830. There are now 

 about two hundred varieties : they came originally from Chili and 

 Peru, and were first cultivated by the English — soon after in 

 France, and then over the rest of Europe. Propagated by seed 

 for new kinds, and by slips for the same kind. The seed must 

 be sown as soon as collected ; after sowing, comes up in 1 5 days ; 

 the best soil for it is pure heath earth ; the seeds keep com- 

 ing up sometimes for six months and more ; the plants should be 

 picked out when very young. It is very much infested by in- 

 sects, and must be smoked well with tobacco. 



In 1832, Messrs Young, of Edinburgh, sold some of their first 

 hybrid calceolaries for ten dollars each. 



