42 
STANDARD CAMELLIAS. 
water every second or third watering as they approach blooming greatly invigorates the flowers. 
To preserve the latter, shading and netting are indispensable. Cuttings root freely in sandy 
soil, in a cold frame, under a hand-glass, or in a cool shady border, any time during su mm er.—M. 
THE PROPERTIES OF THE PELARGONIUM. 
By Mr. G. GLENNY, F.HS. 
If/IHE properties of the Pelargonium were published by us some years ago, and before anybody had 
A even formed an idea of what a flower ought to be. Colour and size seemed to be the leading, if 
not the only objects of the raisers, and some of the early varieties, that bore a large price, would not 
even be looked at in these days. Novelty, we will grant, covers a multitude of blemishes; but the 
Pelargonium, in those days, was at best a fragile flimsy flower, and lasted but a short time in bloom. 
Breadth and thickness of petal were wanted more than anything, as starting qualities ; the one to give 
form, the other permanence, or at least durability. Dennis’s Perfection was one of the first we recog¬ 
nised as a distinct improvement—for we talked of the Properties a long while before we published 
them ; and that variety bore a considerable price. 
It was observed that the Pelargonium, like the Pansy, required to be round to be perfect: that 
the petals should be thick and smooth on the edges; with a moderate truss of flowers of good size; a 
stocky shrubby habit; good, bold, but not coarse, foliage; and abundance of flowers. Nobody would 
dispute these general properties; but, when we come to colour, no two agree, except that there must 
be a dark blotch on the upper petals. We simply want a dense colour whatever that may be, because- 
washy, weak, or watery shades look poor; and if there be two colours we want them to be well defined 
and contrasted. Everything cloudy, shady, and undecided is ineffective; but as to what the colour 
or shade shall be, we leave among those matters that are To create the variety, and will not give a 
preference except on the general principles of the greater the contrast the better, and if there be any 
brightness at all, the newer the colour the better. [Most of these points are represented in the diagram 
on the preceding page.] 
Ajax, one of the subjects of the foregoing embellishment, is a novelty, and as such deserves a high 
place even among the best; not but that it might be a better shape and have a thicker petal, but it 
is as good as our so-called first-class flowers in these matters, and is a good colour. Everybody must 
therefore grow Ajax for the sake of its novel purple colour, and its average goodness. 
Ocellatum is also a novelty ; its peculiar spotting reminds us of some of the old Geraniums, for 
although so much better in form, the spots are remarkable. Asa show flower we do not like it, for 
although the lower petals are broad, aud it is a good average form, there is no boldness, no grandeur in 
its bloom. It is new, bright, strikingly novel; but though every cultivator will covet it, and it will be 
one of the best market plants that has been raised for years, it will not please in competition with the 
regular show flowers. The spot somehow gives the appearance of narrowness to the lower petals. 
The May Queen speaks for herself. We have seen many other seedlings, some few of which will 
no doubt be popular. The most striking perhaps were the Gipsy Rival, which we could not recognize 
as any better than the Gipsy Bride—perhaps if they had been compared we might have discovered 
some advance. Silkmercer, an odd title for a Pelargonium, is a singular purple ; it has a fold in the 
back petals, but has many good points, among which it has the best habit of any we have seen; Little 
but Good, is pretty. But the variety on which some of the principal growers pinned their hopes was 
Incomparable, on which however, we have not seen one perfect truss in full flower; whether the 
flowers will not open together, or many come false, or whatever else may be the cause, we have rarely 
seen more than two good blooms open at once on the truss. We have notes of some others that we 
must mention at the close of the season, when we have seen all. 
STANDARD CAMELLIAS. 
By Mr. P. F. KEIR. 
/II HE RE can be no question as to the propriety of training the Camellia in the way it is commonly 
A seen, but there does not seem to be any reason for supposing that it may not be trained in other 
ways with as much effect as can be attained by keeping it in the usual bush-like form. Its habit, 
its fine deep-green foliage, its beautiful flowers, all seem to point it out as capable of being grown 
as a standard with admirable effect. There are, it is true, plenty of large plants of tliis favourite 
