September 30,1880. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
309 
headed, the colours of some being green, some purple, and others a 
mixture of the two, in fact no two being exactly alike. All could 
be obtained from a single packet of seed, in my case presumably 
of the Green Globe. I have on previous occasions sown seeds of 
both the purple and green forms, but this season I confined myself 
to the latter, knowing from experience that I should have more 
than enough of variety from one packet. 
I am not writing this to the prejudice of the nurserymen or 
seedsmen who may have distributed either seedling plants or seed 
with the above results, as I firmly believe they are quite unaware 
of the mixed character of the stock. My motive for again calling 
attention to it is simply to elicit the experience of others, as 
should this be in accordance with mine it may, and I trust will 
do so, ultimately result in the seedsmen being more particular in 
their transactions with the continental seed-growers, who, in all 
probability, grow for seed purposes the purple and green varieties 
and also Cardoons in close proximity. If I could rely upon seed¬ 
lings coming true to name I should grow them exclusively, as the 
heads of those few that are really good are much superior to any I 
can obtain from the ordinary stock of plants raised from suckers, 
although given precisely the same necessarily liberal treatment. 
So convinced am I of the superiority of the produce of the seed- 
Fig.59 —Pelargonium tetragonum. 
lings when true over those of plants obtained by division, that 
next season I hope to be able to save some seed under glass. 
This proceeding, however, I cannot help thinking unnecessary, 
provided proper precautions were taken by the seed-growers, and 
which ought to be forcibly pointed out to them by our wholesale 
seedsmen.—W. Iggulden. 
PELARGONIUM TETRAGONUM. 
This is one of the most distinct and curious of all the species. 
With stems of rush-like appearance, the leaves arc generally so 
reduced as to appear absent, but according to the conditions of 
growth they may or may not develope. They are present on 
luxuriant or young specimens, and then are as we have shown 
them in our illustration. The flowers are of peculiar form, but 
also showy from their size and delicate pink colour, with dark 
and conspicuous veining. It was introduced more than a hundred 
years ago, and forms the subject of a very early plate in the 
“ Botanical Magazine.” I have known it many years, but always 
as a variety, and have, therefore, been delighted to find large 
plants in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, where the drawing was 
made. In Haworth’s time there were two varieties in cultivation 
which I have never seen, the one with variegated stems, the other 
with variegated leaves.—L. 
The Colour, of Flowers. —At a recent meeting of the Yaudois 
Society of Natural Sciences, Professor Scbnetzler read an inter¬ 
esting paper on the colour of flowers. It has been generally 
