THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
357 
cease stopping, or in other words do no more pinching off the 
points of the shoots, but continue to denude of flower buds till the 
middle of September, by which time they will have filled the pots 
with healthy roots, and consequently are in the best condition for 
forming vigorous flower buds, which should now be left. To secure 
against a check from early autumn frost, it would be well now to 
remove the plants into a well ventilated pit, or cool house, and by 
the second week in October they will be coming into flower, and 
therefore should be shifted into a dry, well ventilated house, which 
should be kept at a temperature ranging from 50’ Pahr. at night, to 
CO’ by fire-heat, or 75’ by sun-heat during the day ; thus treated, 
and by making choice of suitable varieties, an abundant supply of 
flowers may be insured far into the winter months. 
With regard to choice of varieties, observation will prove a safe 
guide. But I would remark that our nurserymen give us copious 
lists of varieties — too copious : for one-third of the catalogued lists 
would suffice for every class of purchasers. In some instances they 
are classified in sections, and also in colours. It would be useful if 
some idea could also be given of their time of flowering in perfec- 
tion, for I believe every variety has its season of flowering, as every 
variety of apple and pear has its season for ripening. It would be a 
boon if they would give us a list of those best adapted for winter 
flowering. 
There are now numerous varieties that flower freely in the 
autumn months. Amongst the inferior varieties, Fayne's Perpetual, 
Vesuvius, Soiiesici, Jean Sisley, and Leonidas occur to me as useful. 
Many of the nosegay section, such as Lizzie, Le Grand, Grand 
Duke, Marathon, Masterpiece, Master Christine, etc., may be pro- 
nounced desirable. In the florists’ section of large, finely formed 
flowers we shall find Virgo Marie, Lord Lerhy, JDr, Lindley, Mice 
Spencer, lanthe, and Blue Bell, particularly suitable. I find Rienzi, 
Richard Occur de Lion, Nelson, lago, Lanthe, Rose of Allandale, Sir 
Charles Napier, and Jessica, and very many I have raised but that 
have never been offered to the public, are more or less good winter 
flowerers. 
If an artistical arrangement of the coloured varieties of the 
flowering section of the geranium, together with some of the best 
varieties of the gold and silver tricolors, be made with various 
foliage plants, such as exotic Ferns, Crotons, Dracaenas, dwarf Palms 
and the like, the effect would be found to be far more strikingly 
telling than is generally supposed for autumn and winter decoration. 
Sumac, which is the powdered leaves of IUms coriaria, and is used for tanning, 
appears to be an important article in the trade of Palermo. The leaves, after being 
picked and dried in the sun, are simply ground to powdei’, and for this purpose 
there are fifteen mills employed in the city, twelve of which are worked by steam. 
These mills together employ nearly 200 hands, and produce about 20,280 tons 
annually, of the estimated value of £290,640. The manufacture of olive oil is 
also an important industry, as is also the cultivation around Palermo of oranges 
and lemons, which is being extended, but which requires little labour beyond the 
gathering and packing of the fruit. 
December. 
