292 
with which they can be grown and the long season of bloom, 
practically all the year through. Even the cutting bed, un- 
less bud-stalks have been removed, is frequently well starred 
with blossoms, and in the smallest pots it is not rare to find 
a truss of flowers almost as large as the whole plant itself. 
CULTURE INDOORS AND OUT. 
While the Geranium will live and blossom under very 
adverse conditions, it is one of those rank. feeding plants 
which immediately shows the result of good care and ferti- 
lization, and repays any trouble taken along these lines in a 
very perceptible way. ros 
Plants to be set out in beds should be started late in the 
Fall or early in the Spring previous. The former are 
taken through the Winter in an almost dormant state, and 
started into more active growth as the warmer days of 
February come on. For Spring cuttings, the ‘“‘stock”’ plants, 
such as one may have growing in the window, should be 
given more water and got into active growth, making fresh 
wood for propagating. [wo such plants—one grown with 
the right shape and the other of the scrawny sort one so 
frequently sees—are illustrated herewith. They picture 
the Spring pruning, given both to keep the old plants in 
good shape and also to get a supply of cuttings, which are 
shown—fifteen from the two medium-sized plants. The 
cuttings are potted off into two-inch or two and one half 
inch pots, and grown on without a check—which means 
giving them plenty of sunlight, air, water and a tempera- 
ture as near 45 to 50 degrees at night as can be had, and 
repotting as often as the roots indicate that they are ready 
for a shift by forming a network of white working roots 
around the outside of the ball of earth. From the small 
pots they are usually put into threes and then later, during 
April, into fours. The soil used should be rather heavy 
for the last two pottings—say, one third rotted sods, two 
thirds heavy loam, with fine bone flour—half a shovelful 
If one has on hand a sup- 
to a bushel of earth—added. 
sreenminartenerinrene 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
August, 1912 
ply of regular potting soil, of course, that will do, though 
if it is light it will be better to mix it half and half with 
heavy loam. ‘The beds should be well enriched with rot- 
ted manure, and spaded down to sub-soil, or as deep as 
possible. It is a common practice to make them in a mound 
shape, rounded over the top, but this is a mistake, as rain, 
or water applied with the hose, will run off instead of 
soaking into the ground where it is needed. If a raised 
bed is desired, keep the top as level as possible. After 
setting out do not leave the beds to shift for themselves, 
but go over the surface with a small hoe—the ‘‘onion”’ type 
is the most convenient to use—every ten days or so. It 
will take only a few minutes at a time and is pleasant work. 
A light top-dressing with some fertilizer rich in nitrogen, 
applied during the middle of the season, and worked in 
well about the roots, will increase the quantity and quality 
of bloom. . Nitrate of soda alone is excellent for this pur- 
pose, but it must be used in very small doses, a small hand- 
ful will be ample for a dozen plants. 
Plants for blooming in the house are best started in the 
late Spring, and grown on as described above. After being 
put in four-inch pots, “plunge” them pot and all, in the 
garden outside, that is, bury them up to the rim. This 
will make it very much easier to take care of them, and 
to keep the pots from drying out, but the precaution must 
be taken to turn the pot around frequently, at least every 
two weeks, to prevent the plant from rooting through into 
the cool, moist soil below. For the best results later on, 
also, all the buds should be picked off until late in the sea- 
son so that the full vigor of the plant may be utilized in 
getting ready for its Winter work. ‘The soil used for the 
last potting should contain plenty of “humus” such as rotted 
sod or decayed manure, and some sand to insure good 
drainage—which is one of the most essential things about 
growing plants in the house in Winter, when very little 
(Continued on page 300) 
A mass of Geraniums forms one of the most successful decorative plant fillers for attractive garden vases 
