18 



HOME AND FLOWERS 



point. Such a plant alone is able to show 

 YOU what the flowering possibilities of the 

 geranium are. Imagine, if yon can, the 

 difference between a plant having one 

 clnster of flowers and one having from 

 ten to twenty, and yon will begin to realize 

 how mnch superior the older plant is to 

 the younger one. 



But, some say, old plants lack the vigor 

 of the young plant. Then it's all the fault 

 of the grower. I have geraniums five, six, 

 seven years old, that are as vigorous as any 



cared for, healthy old plant in full bloom, 

 and you will never thereafter be an advo- 

 cate of the use of young plants for winter 

 blooming. 



The fact is, most of the persons who 

 have tried to get winter flowers from old 

 plants and failed have allowed their plants 

 to bloom to suit themselves during sum- 

 mer. Their plants have exhausted them- 

 selves during a period when they ought to 

 have been resting and storing up strength 

 for winter work. Such plants are not in 



<4 



GERANIUMS AS GROWN BY PROFESSIONALS 



young plant can be. Every spring I cut 

 them back. During summer I do not 

 allow them to bloom. In fall I repot. By 

 November they are in bloom, and from 

 that time to May they are covered with 

 flowers. 'Not inferior flowers, mind you, 

 but flowers as large, as fine in all respects, 

 as those on young plants. I get them by 

 feeding the plants well throughout the 

 flowering season. Xot enough to encour- 

 age a rank grou^th of branches, but just 

 enough to put vigor into the flowers. 

 Treated in this way one old plant is worth 

 a score of young plants. See a properly 



a condition to illustrate the possibilities 

 of the geranium as a winter bloomer. 

 xA^bout all that can be expected of them 

 is that they will hold their own during the 

 season. It would be foolish to expect 

 vigorous, healthy growth and plenty of 

 flowers from a plant that had worn itself 

 out. But thoughtless, unobservant per- 

 sons who hare expected these things from 

 old geraniums and failed to get them have 

 rushed into print with the information 

 that they were worthless, and whoever said 

 they were not didn't know what they were 

 talking about. 



