CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS. 
'3 
and Cottage Maid, have the bright scarlet 
flowers of the preceding kinds, but those 
usually called by this term are descendants 
from Pelargonium zonale, an African species, 
and are known by gardeners as the Red Horse- 
shoe, which has crimson-red flowers ; the Pur- 
ple Horse-shoe, which has red flowers, suffused 
with purple; and Compactum, which has close 
heads of red blossoms. The true Ivy-leaved 
geraniums are considered distinct species by 
botanists. One kind (Pelargonium lateripes) 
has reddish flowers; another (P. scutatum) has 
nearly white blossoms. The latter is some- 
times employed for bedding, when its long 
flexile shoots should be pegged down; but both 
species are chiefly useful for hanging over the 
sides of elevated boxes, baskets, or vases. 
Many varieties of variegated-leaved geraniums 
are cultivated ; the best of these for our pur- 
pose are the Red-blossomed, which has leaves 
margined with white, and deep-coloured small 
flowers ; and Mangles's, which has leaves 
edged with clearer white, and flowers of a 
delicate pink colour. Another variety, known 
as the Cup-leaved, has pretty pink flowers ; 
but the plant is more delicate than the two 
preceding sorts. A new kind has lately been 
raised, which has bright scarlet flowers, and 
promises to be a great acquisition to this tribe 
if it should not prove too tender for bedding. 
Avery distinct and desirable Pelargonium has 
become extensively known within the last year 
or two, under the name of Lucia rosea. Its 
leaves resemble those of the scarlets, and so 
also do its flowers in form and style, but the 
colour is a delicate pink. To form large bushes 
for dotting about the lawn, or for single plants 
to fill large vases, several scarlets of very 
robust growth are cultivated, of which those 
called Smith's Emperor and Smith's Superb 
will be found as good as any. All these can be 
readily propagated by cuttings during the 
growing season ; and they generally produce 
seed freely from which new varieties might be 
raised. We prefer cuttings to pot singly in 
small pots and sandy soil, keeping them close 
and warm till rooted, and cautiously avoiding 
over-watering ; for as the shoots are rather 
succulent, an over-supply of moisture is certain 
to rot them. In autumn, when the beauty of 
the flower-garden is over, the old plants should 
be taken up with good roots, and potted, cut- 
ting their heads well in ; they ought then to 
be put under glass, and encouraged to push 
young roots ; and, if properly managed during 
winter, they will form healthy plants for turn- 
ing out into the beds again in the following 
spring. A stock of young plants ought, how- 
ever, to be maintained, to supply deficiencies, 
as some of the old ones will unavoidably die. 
Some of the hardier varieties may be wintered 
in a cellar, by merely covering their roots with 
soil ; and when the weather is sufficiently set- 
tled in spring, they can be transferred direct to 
the flower garden, without the trouble of pot- 
ting them. We have found the Red Horse- 
shoe and the Red-blossomed Variegated bear 
this treatment best. A new class, designated 
fancy Pelargoniums, has lately become popular. 
The best for bedding are said to be Diadema- 
tum, Diadematum rubescens, Rouge et .Voir, 
and Queen Victoria. These, with such other 
varieties as are found to succeed planted out, 
would form a novel and interesting bed in a 
warm situation. — Whiting's Flower Gar- 
dening for Ladies. 
Lagerstrolmia indica. — One of the finest 
specimens in the country of this much neglected 
plant, was exhibited at the Salisbury show, 
and partly merited the distinction of" a spe- 
cimen prize awarded to it. Rarely have we 
seen the plant so well bloomed in any sized 
pot, but here was a specimen standing seven 
or eight feet high, and as much through, with 
noble bunches of its rosy flowers at the end 
of every shoot. This plant, like many others, 
requires attention ; it may be grown, it is 
true, in a common greenhouse, and will, with 
constant shifting from one size pot to another, 
continue increasing in size ; but, so long as 
it is kept in an excited state, it will not bloom 
profusely. It is the best way to grow it in 
good heath-mould, that is, peat-earth, such as 
the heaths are grown in, and allow it but one 
pot a year, which may be changed as soon as 
it indicates a growth after resting ; but during 
its growing period, if the pots get crammed 
with roots, it ought not to be shifted, it will 
then bloom well enough ; in fact, the plant 
may be grown so as to bloom less than a foot 
high ; and after it has done blooming it may 
have its rest and its shift, and grow until it is 
again set for bloom. There is nothing more 
obedient if the proper care be bestowed upon 
it; but its beauty is short-lived, compared with 
many flowering shrubs ; and, from its indis- 
position to bloom as generally treated, it has 
been discarded from many houses and collec- 
tions altogether. It can be brought into good 
flowering trim in August and September, and 
is worthy of a place in every conservatory or 
greenhouse. — G-. 
The Cyclamen. — We consider this among 
neglected plants, for certain it is that no 
flower better deserves a place in every garden 
in the country ; yet it is comparatively little 
seen. The bulbs may be imported from Hol- 
land, and they require very little care or 
trouble. The Cyclamen persicum is the fa- 
vourite, and there are two varieties of this. 
One of those raised many years ago, by 
Mr. Guyatt, of Hammersmith, possessed fra- 
grance equal to the original, but was a bright 
rosy colour, instead of white and violet. 
