103 
On the Cultivation of the Pelargonium. 
Pelargonium; aiul upon your reception of the pa])er, (^^hould it meet 
with your approval) I shall be glad of its insertioii in your work. 
At this place, we have a very extensive collection of the liner sorts : 
and the peculiarity of their grovdh and blooming, have been much 
admired and approved of, having a succession of blooming plants 
all the year. 
In August, cuttings are taken off the old plants, choosing such as 
have the young wood tolerably perfected; the)' are cut off about six 
inches long, raid close under a joint, and each cutting is put into a 
small pot, two inches wide, by two inches and a half deep. The pots 
are filled with a compost, consisting of 
One half of Vegetable-Mould, 
One half of Decayed Leaves, 
One third of Peat, 
One sixth of fine White Sand. 
Previous to filling the pots, the compost is well mixed together. The 
cuttings are inserted by making a hole in the centre, and after placing 
them in, the hole is filled np with white sand; the soil is then pressed 
close to each cutting, and they are watered,—they are then plunged 
in a hot-bed frame, no air is admitted for several days, but they are 
shaded when rec|uired. As soon as the cuttings push, air is admitted 
freely. In four or five weeks, these cuttings are removed into larger 
pots, about five inches wide, by six deep, the same kind of compost is 
used as before ; the plants are then placed in a cool frame, or removed 
into the gi’een-house, where they will come into bloom early in March 
following. 
About the end of September, another succession of cuttings is put 
in, and treated as the others were; but when the plants are about ten 
inches high, the ends of the shoots are pinched off^—this causes them 
to push a number of lateral branches, and makes the plants bushy, 
'Phese flower early in May. 
Early in January, a third stock of cuttings is put in, these are also 
stopped at ten inches high. The plants are kept in a cool and airy 
situation, from 4he first of May to July, and are then taken into the 
houses to bloom; which they will do, to the end of September. 
In March, a fourth lot of cuttings is put in, these after being stop¬ 
ped, will push shoots, which when they have got six inches long are 
also sto])ped. These plants are kept in a cool, airy situation, from the 
end of May to September, and are then taken into the houses, and 
will bloom to December or later. 
The plants are frequently syringed with a mixture of soap-suds and 
tobacco-water, which keeps them perfectly clean from insects of any 
kind. I frequently water the plants, at the roots, with strong manure 
water and soap-suds. 
