THE GERANIUM 



flowers of the aristocrat would languish and 

 die — in brief, that it is everybody's flower. 

 The more such "common" flowers we have 

 the better. A well-grown specimen of a fine 

 variety — and we have so many superior kinds 

 nowadays that no one is excusable in growing 

 an inferior variety — is equal to the task of 

 making the window a thing of beauty from 

 December to May, and this with very little 

 trouble on the part of the grower. Simply 

 give it a soil of loam, with some sand mixed in, 

 a moderate amount of water, plenty of sun- 

 shine, and freedom from frost, and it will ask 

 but little else at your hands. Insects seldom 

 trouble it. Diseases rarely attack it. It is, in 

 short, an ideal plant for the amateur. 



The old type of Geranium had narrow 

 petals, and its individual flowers were conse- 

 quently not very attractive. The cluster was 

 depended on for show, rather than the single 

 flower. But the florists took the plant in hand, 

 and they have worked wonders with it. We 

 now have varieties with flowers nearly two 

 inches across, and petals so wide that they 

 overlap each other, like those of the Pansy, 

 thus giving us a blossom that is far more showy 

 in itself than the old-time cluster, made up of 



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