16 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



1815, or thereabouts, the amateurs began to cross the species and one 

 of the leaders in this delightful work was Sir Kichard Colt Hoare, 

 who obtained a considerable number of beautiful hybrids. The work 

 was taken up with more serious views by Mr. Kobert Sweet, the 

 author of a number of valuable illustrated works, comprising one in 

 five volumes devoted to the Geraniaceae. 



The large-flowering or florists' Pelargoniums are reputed to be the 

 offspring of P. speciosum. It must be evident to every cultivator 

 of these flowers that the blood of a score or so of species is mingled 

 in them. P, speciosum was introduced in 1794, but it has no place 

 under this name in Sweet or the " Hortus Kewensis." It is variously 

 described as producing purple and white flowers, and can scarcely be 

 said to have a history. If the question be asked, What is Pelar- 

 gonium speciosum ? I must refer to Sweet's description of P. invo- 

 lucratum, ~No. 33. He there refers to speciosum of Andrews as iden- 

 tical with his own superbum, and he puts the speciosum of "Wild enow 

 out of court altogether. It is likely, I think, that P. spectabile (136), 

 a hybrid raised from P. cucullatum and P. ignescens, and P. involu- 

 cratum (33), raised from P. cucullatum and P. superbum, were the 

 founders of the florists' race. Certain it is that these typical kinds 

 were endowed with the capability of varying indefinitely, and with 

 a plastic constitution rendering them possible sources of innume- 

 rable floral surprises. It is scarcely an exaggeration to say that 

 amongst the true hybrids there are at least fifty that might be the 

 parents of our exhibition race. But to clear up the point is impossible, 

 for in very few instances did the early raisers keep any record that 

 could be referred to for settling questions of pedigree. 



The first variety figured as a proper florists' flower was called 

 Geranium grandissima, raised by Mr. Widnall of Grantchester. The 

 portrait of this variety appeared in the u Ploricultural Cabinet" of 

 September 1st, 1834. It was a pretty flower, with rich dark top 

 petals and warm blush -tinted under petals ; but the small size and 

 poor form would exclude it from any collection of Pelargoniums in 

 the present day. "What a marvellous advance on this do we behold 

 in the latest flowers of Mr. Hoyle or Mr. Poster ! To Mr. Hoyle, 

 no doubt, we must assign the gold medal as the producer by 

 systematic crossing of the finest varieties of the present day. 



