Why We Like the Geranium 
eee are no flowering plants, in my 
opinion, to quite equal geraniums, 
with their profusion of bloom and wealth 
of color ranging through innumerable 
shades of red, pure white, and pink, and 
they are probably more universally grown 
than any other plant. 
The soil for geraniums must be in good 
condition and fertile, but not over-rich. 
The best fertilizer is old manure, to which 
a sprinkling of coarse crushed bone has 
been added. If too much fertilizer is used 
the plants will grow too fast, will form long 
joints between the leaves and will not flower 
freely. The same results will also happen 
if the plants are kept too wet. A medium 
amount of irrigation is necessary. The 
young plants, as soon as they are planted 
out in the open, begin to make numerous 
new shoots and flowers; but as soon as the 
plants gain strength and healthy root 
action, they grow too rapidly and do not 
mature their wood fast enough to flower 
well. To remedy this and to ripen the 
necessary amount of wood, pinch out the 
point of each growth, at the same time 
keeping the soil rather dry. 
When the plants are grown as single 
specimens, remove the tip of each growth 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
to make the plants form shapely and more 
bushy specimens, especially with Beauté 
Poitevine. Be careful not to destroy the 
buds. Cutting off the ends of the shoots 
is apt to give the plants an abrupt look; 
therefore, use a penknife and with the 
point of the blade break off the small bud 
at the end of the growth. 
AS WALL COVERS 
Where a retaining wall needs some growth 
to cover it, the ivy-leaved pelargonium is 
without a rival. It is often planted in the 
soil above a wall (as shown in the illustra- 
tion) and allowed to grow down, the construc- 
tion and form of the leaves and stalks giving 
them the power to hold themselves in 
position without being fastened to the 
wall. 
There are not many _ strong-growing 
single varieties suitable for this purpose 
and the one generally used is L’ Innocence, 
which will eventually convert a wall five 
feet high into a dense hedge. The flowers 
are large and white, shaded with lilac, and 
are produced very freely. 
Comtesse H. de Choiseul is one of the 
best of its color, which is a satiny rose. 
The flowers are borne on 10-inch stems, the 
growth is robust, and the plant is well 
furnished with foliage. 
Emile Lemoine has very large, semi- 
double flowers of orange-scarlet. Its 
growth, when established, is robust. Pinch 
off the tops to induce young growth. 
Madame Thibaut is the most free-flowering 
of the doubles, compact in habit, with short 
joints having spur growths all along the 
main stem. It is well adapted for small 
walls, growing not more than three feet. 
The flowers are bright rose, borne on stems 
six inches long. 
The flowers of Louis Thibaut are extra 
In California ivy-leaved pelargoniums planted above a wall will convert it into a dense hedge 
JANUARY, 1909 
large and of a deep lustrous red. The 
growth is robust, the plant often attaining a 
height of five feet. Cut off the points to 
make the growths break well along the 
branches. 
ZONAL PELARGONIUMS 
These are bush geraniums which will 
stand considerable abuse and neglect. 
The Bruant race has large fleshy leaves 
with magnificent double and semi-double 
flowers, and gives the best results as bedding 
plants. The plants grow on an average 
three feet high and as much across. The 
large-trussed varieties should have the dead 
flowers pulled from the centre of the trusses 
as they appear. The Bruant race is bene- 
fited by being planted in partial shade, 
and is appropriate for planting amongst 
permanent trees and shrubs. In fact, the 
zonals are very accommodating and will 
often grow where other plants refuse to 
flourish, as for instance, under the shade 
of large palms (like Phenix Canariensis) 
and such trees as Wagnolia grandiflora. It 
is not advisable to bed.them out in large 
masses, for in this part of the country they 
all grow too large; but for forming an edge 
to a flower bed or for filling a corner in a 
small garden they are extremely useful. 
In my opinion the following varieties are 
the best in their colors for all purposes. 
Beauté Poitevine, with very large, semi- 
double flowers, the prevailing coior being 
pink with salmon markings toward the 
centre. The truss is large and is borne 
on a long, stiff stem. This variety is 
a rapid grower and moderately free- 
flowering. 
Mme. Landry is very free-flowering and 
has double flowers, circular in shape borne 
in large trusses. They are salmon colored, 
shaded with copper, and have white eyes. 
The flowers of Mme. A. Mahien are large, 
double, and of a deep rose, with a rosette of 
small petals in the centre, the outer petals 
being saucer-like. The trusses are large 
and borne on good stems. 
Enormous double flowers of a bright, rosy 
scarlet color are produced by Ville de Poitiers. 
The truss is extra large. 
The best double white variety is Mme. A. 
Chevrelierre. The flowers are pure white, 
large and double. The truss is also large 
and the stems are particularly good. 
A very free-flowering delicate pink 
geranium is Jean Viaud, which attains a 
height of about two feet. The flowers are 
large and semi-double, borne in large 
trusses. 
Santa Barbara. W. H. Morse. 
Preserving the Greenhouse 
Benches 
It is no joke to have all your greenhouse 
benches rot in a year or two. And somé™ 
of the patent “wood preservatives” are 
said to be harmful to crops. The plan — 
recommended by the New Jersey Experi- 
ment Station is to spray the benches once 
with copper sulphate and three times with 
whitewash. A pound of sulphate is enough 
for forty feet of board surface. 
