378 



FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



the best of attention is not 

 given to the beds in Summer. 

 At present the pink shades, 

 particularly Mrs. E. G. Hill 

 and Poitevine, have the call, 

 but you want others — among 

 them S. A. Nutt, considered 

 by "Uncle John" Thorpe the 

 best red more than forty years 

 ago. This variety is still at 

 the head. You will also want 

 a good white. Suppose you 

 grow 5000 plants; I would 

 suggest 3000 pink of two or 

 three sorts, 1000 red of two 

 sorts, 500 white of one sort, 

 and 500 mixed to please those 

 who come in to purchase a 

 dozen plants of as many differ- 

 ent varieties. Of course the 

 man near the cemetery 

 wouldn't be satisfied with such 

 an assortment; no doubt he 

 would include many more 

 white ones. 



Fig. 165. — The Gbraisiium Mrs. Geo. E, 

 Buxton. A bushy 5-in. Geranium during 

 the early Spring, especially around Easter, 

 when carrying half a dozen large trusses 

 of flowers, will always find admirers. The 

 color is of nearly as great importance as 

 compact habit, good foliage and plenty of 

 buds and flowers 



To grow Geraniums successfully you want a house of 50 deg. 

 over Winter, a rather stiff loam, good drainage and plenty of sun. 

 You can take cuttings in September from plants grown outdoors, 

 but there is then always more or less loss, especially if we have a 

 wet season which causes soft growth. A better way is to grow on a 

 few plants planted out on a bench and keep on taking cuttings from 

 them all Winter. Such cuttings if removed with three or four eyes 

 can be potted up at once into 2s or 23^s in a sandy soil and will 

 soon root; or, if desired, they can be placed in the propagating bench. 

 Here, especially during Winter, a Uttle bottom heat wiU help mat- 

 ters. Hardly ever do such cuttings require shade. 



Growing Good Four-Inch Stock 



To grow good 4-in. Geraniums, you should root the cuttings 

 from September on up to January and carry them in 2j^s. The 

 earUer propagated ones should have a shift into Sj^s by the first of 

 February and if in good growing condition, may have their tops 

 removed to be used as new cuttings. But don't do this unless 

 you have three or four eyes left on the plant for new breaks. Those 



