TBEATMEXT IX THE HOUSE. 



97 



pregnation. Geranium seeds are best sown soon after they are ripe, pro- 

 \-ided that does not happen after August, in which case it would be better 

 to delay sowing till Febmary or March. ^\Tien the seeds are sown, they 

 should be placed in a nuld hot-bed, and regularly shaded till they have ve- 

 getated ; after which they should be accustomed to the sun and air to 

 harden them prcTious to their being potted, which should be done when 

 they are about an inch, or an inch and a half high ; their treatment after 

 this differs not fi'om that of cuttings, only that they need not be topped 

 with a view to form bushy plants, as it is not imtil they flower that 

 their merits can be ascertained. Seedlings should however be stimu- 

 lated, by being grown in very rich soil and occasionally watered with 

 liquid manm-e. 



GENERAL TREATMENT WHEN IN THE HOUSE. 



By the latter end of September, the Geraniimis, if they have been 

 placed out during the summer, should be arranged in their winter habi- 

 tation, along with such as have been recently propagated from cuttings. V^'e 

 would be understood here, however, as not advocating the practice of 

 originating the whole collection of pelargoniums annually from cuttings, 

 for we have found that most sorts flower well the second year, by follow- 

 ing the simple routine of shaking the mould entirely away from such 

 plants as have been cut down after flowering, re-potting them again in 

 much smaller pots than those they flowered in, and placing them for a 

 fortnight or three weeks in a close frame in which a sHght bottom heat 

 is maintained, until they begin to make fresh roots and break into young 

 branches. After this they should be placed in a sheltered situation until the 

 end of September, when they are removed into the Geranium house. 

 During winter they should be supphed with air and water, and kept slowly 

 growing until February, when they should be sliifted into pots at least two 

 sizes larger than those they have stood in during winter. , From tliis time 

 until they begin to come into flower, their growth should be encouraged 

 by allowing them plenty of room on the shelves or stages, supplying 

 them with an abundance of air and water, and tui-ning them frequently 

 round, so that all sides of the plants may enjoy an equal share of hght 

 and sun. 



If kept too close, or too far from the glass, Geraniums are hableto grow 

 up weak, and in that case seldom flower fine : they are also liable, in that 

 case, to be attacked by the green-fly, which must be removed upon its first 



H 



