74 
TETRATHECA HIRSUTA,, OF L1NDLEY. 
wintering Pelargoniums, it is only necessary, 
for the keeping of them in perfect health, to 
give them a temperature of from 35 to 45 
degrees Fahr. Air and light in abundance, 
and water rather sparingly. 
Some people keep shifting and growing, or 
rather /orem^the Geranium all the winter; but 
as the trouble, anxiety,, and expense incurred 
by such a process can never be properly com- 
pensated by the result — a drawn plant, a 
scanty bloom, and abundance of green- fly — it 
is not likely the plan will ever become a 
general one. 
February, or even March, is a much better 
and more rational season for starting the Ge- 
ranium into activity. A plant wanted to flower 
at or before Midsummer, ought now to be 
shifted into a twenty-four sized pot; and again, 
in April or beginning of May, into a sixteen 
or twelve size. The soil to be used on these 
occasions ought to be composed of three parts 
loam, two parts thoroughly rotten dung, one 
part decayed leaves, one part wood-ashes, one 
part sand. A plant grown on this plan will 
not by Midsummer, it is true, be large as a 
ten-year old gooseberry bush ; yet, if the 
most forward shoots be stopped before the be- 
ginning of April, and a very little nitrate of 
soda, or " Humphery's soluble compound," — 
which is much better, though dearer, — applied 
among the water when the plants are begin- 
ning to show bloom, they will flower well, 
having their flowers large and of fine colours. 
If fire heat be employed — as undoubtedly it 
will need to be during the generally, and often 
severely, cold months of March and April — 
the fires ought to be applied principally 
during the daytime, for the twofold purpose 
of enabling the grower to admit as much as 
possible of the indispensable agent, air ; and 
to give the plant its proper cool — not cold — 
night's rest. If green-fly should make its 
appearance among the plants, fumigation with 
tobacco should be resorted to ; but syringing 
with cold water ought to be done but as seldom 
as possible; as, though the Geranium cer- 
tainly does, if grown in a proper soil and 
properly drained, not require a great deal of 
water at its roots, it as certainly is injured by 
frequent syringing overhead. 
One word now about growing large speci- 
mens, which is a very simple and easy matter, 
effected thus, at the cost of a year's bloom : — 
In February shift your plant at once into a 
sixteen sized pot, and, as the shoots advance, 
pinch back some and tie up others, as may 
suit best, to promote the desired shape of the 
plant. Again, in May shift the plant once 
again, and for the last time, into an eight 
sized pot. A plant so treated will, at the end 
of summer, present the appearance of half a 
sphere of ten to fifteen feet in circumference ; 
the branches will be stout and short-jointed ; 
the foliage will be lai-ge and dark green, dense, 
and hiding soil, stakes, ties, &c. ; the bloom, 
however, will be scant, if any, that season ; 
but, during the next and two following sea- 
sons it will flower well and abundantly with- 
out any further shift ; merely requiring to be 
cut back after flowering every summer, top- 
dressed and have the drainage examined, and 
decayed roots, if any, cut away. I have tried 
the plan with Eising Sun, Grand Monarch, 
Madeline, Favourite, Nymph, Constellation, 
Nestor, Sapphire, Bridesmaid, Symmetry, 
Flush, Fair Maid of Devon, &c, and found it 
to answer admirably well, the plants being 
literally covered with a sheet of bloom ; the 
flowers being individually smaller, perhaps, 
than on younger plants having fewer trusses, 
thinning out the trusses would undoubtedly 
remedy that fault. But, except for the pur- 
pose of exhibition, quantity of bloom is gene- 
rally more desired than size. — J. McDonald. 
TETRATHECA HIRSUTA, OF LINDLEY. 
HAIRY TETRATHECA. 
This is a very neat little green-house bush 
belonging to the natural order Tremandracese. 
It is in cultivation under the name of Tre- 
mandra Hugelii, but does not belong to that 
genus. It forms a light and open, but branch- 
ing bush, and when loaded with its starry 
bright pink flowers, which are abundantly 
produced, it is very effective, in consequence 
of their being projected on foot-stalks at least 
an inch long from among the foliage. The 
branches are furnished with small, alternate, 
hairy leaves, of an oblong ovate figure : the 
flowers are produced from the axils of these 
leaves, and are formed of five nearly oval 
petals, which, when expanded, exhibit a darker 
shade of colour around the short clustered 
stamens. The whole plant is hairy. It is a 
native of the Swan River colony. 
