110 
CULTURE OF PELARGONIUMS. 
Leaves being as useful as roots in the economy of plants, and by the exercise 
of their valuable functions contributing greatly to the extension of these last, or to 
their positive formation when they are not already present, should be scrupulously 
preserved on those detached members which are wished individually to acquire a 
regular and complete set of operative organs. The largeness of the foliage of Pelar- 
gonia appears, however, to demand that some of it shall be displaced, lest too great 
an extent of evaporating surface enervate the cutting, and cause it to perish. Two 
or three large leaves may be left, with propriety, on a cutting taken from beneath 
the extremity of the shoot, and all the smaller ones on such as are terminal. 
The length of each cutting must be decided by the nature of the branch, and 
the distance between its buds. Four joints will be sufficient in most cases, sever- 
ing the shoot just above the upper bud, and closely under the lower one. Slips are 
scarcely obtainable from Pelargonia, since the base of their branches is usually too 
hard for propagational purposes. Where short shoots are abundant, and the old 
specimen is to be reduced below the point from whence they are extracted, they 
may often be procured, and should be ever employed. In other instances, both 
the top and the bottom of the cutting must be cut as smoothly and horizontally as 
possible ; for, the more unequal the separation, the greater amount of susceptible 
surface will be placed in contact with the soil and air, and the chances of detriment 
accruing will be proportionally increased. 
When the cuttings are in readiness, shallow pots, of a moderate size, should be 
filled with light loamy soil, mixed with sand, for their reception ; or, if common 
pots are used, they must have at least three inches depth of potsherds in the 
bottom. In this soil, the cuttings should be planted firmly, about an inch and a 
half, or two inches apart, and then placed in a propagation, house, or hotbed frame, 
beneath large hand-glasses, each covering several. If convenient, trouble and space 
will probably be economized, by preparing a small bed in the house or frame, and 
inserting the cuttings at once into it, but in small groups, so as to allow protection 
by hand-glasses as before. The usual operation of potting into small pots, and 
afterwards shifting into larger ones, with a rather richer soil, will follow the growth 
of the cuttings ; and when their roots are strong enough to place them beyond 
danger, they may be subjected to a succession of different atmospheres, till they 
can eventually be kept for a time in the open air, and then housed and treated as 
the older plants. 
Metropolitan practice. — In the outset of this essay, we proposed adverting 
to the leading items in the treatment pursued by those London cultivators, whose 
specimens exhibited at the meetings of various societies have been so much 
admired and applauded. After the lengthened remarks we have furnished on our 
own system, these necessarily including most matters of prominent import, a notice 
of other than striking deviations becomes needless. 
Had we to describe the rationale of the greatest growers' plan in a few words, 
we should represent it as a perpetual application of nutrimental or stimulating sub- 
stances during the growing season. They employ, first, a richer soil than we have 
