PELARGONIUMS. 
67 
the shoots must be gone over simultaneously, without regard to 
anything more than the shape of the plant; stop them all so that 
the next crop of branches may spring forth together and equally 
near the exterior, that the surface may present on all sides 
branches in the same stage of growth. While this is going on, 
there must be no lack of attention to the other parts of their 
management : Pelargoniums like a regular and moderate supply 
of moisture, nor must the temperature fluctuate much; a rap with 
the knuckles against the sides of the pots will with a little prac¬ 
tice impart a pretty accurate idea of the state of the soil contained 
in them, and so of the quantity of water required; and the ad¬ 
mission of air must be so regulated that the thermometer may 
range between 45° and 55°; this gives a mean of 50°, and the 
.nigher it is kept to that point in the day the better, allowing it 
to fall a little at night. Insects are always troublesome, but as 
prevention is better than cure, the syringe should be frequently 
employed, and by ejecting the water with some force over and 
under the foliage, their first settlement is often disturbed ; to 
permit the accumulation of dust or other filth upon any part of 
the plants, soil, or pots, indicates such inattention as to be alto¬ 
gether incompatible with the -idea of cultivating these flowers, 
that I shall dismiss it without further remark ; but in case of any 
decided attack of green fly, fumigation must be immediately re¬ 
sorted to, and repeated nightly till every vestige is removed; do 
this when the plants are dry, and always give them the second 
dose, which few will withstand. 
We come now to a question on which many strong opinions 
have been lately expressed, namely, the tying of the flower-stems. 
As a grower, I am decidedly of opinion some support is neces¬ 
sary, to give the neat finished appearance so truly desirable; the 
“ uncontrolled elegance of nature” is a poetic allusion, sounding 
extremely pleasing, I allow ; but it is still questionable if its 
stanchest advocates would admire the careless freedom they 
commend, were it brought into practice, and when plants have 
to be moved from one place to another it is absolutely indispen¬ 
sable, or the utter destruction of beauty must result. Besides, 
we view the plants in an artificial condition altogether; then why 
object to an artistic completion of what was begun and carried 
on by art ? At the same time I am not entering on a defence of 
the “ forest of sticks,” which it is admitted has often been 
