<2: 
PELARGONIUMS.—HINTS TO CROSS BREEDERS. 
they can take the prizes without buying- the new varieties, we can scarcely blame them for doing so. 
This, however, is a matter which the censors must look to. Next season we hope to see some of the 
new flowers, raised by different growers, exhibited in the stands, where we may judge of their merits, 
and that the prizes will be given to new ones if they deserve it, though the plants are not so large as 
some which have been hi the hands of the growers for years. 
In the Fancy class of Pelargoniums great improvements have been made, and, to use the words of 
one of our best judges of florists’ flowers, “ they will arrive at perfection long before the show varie¬ 
ties ; ” and we doubt not that, from then- close habits and profuse manner of producing then- pretty 
painted flowers, they will long and deservedly continue favourites with the public. A fine field is here 
opened to the florist to try his skill in hybridizing and producing an endless variety of colours and 
curious foliage; for, though the raisers of show varieties have not achieved much as to diversity of 
foliage and elegance of habit, we have reason to believe, that breeders in the fancy class, by crossing 
with some of the old oak-leaved varieties, or Cape species, may produce a race of fancy foliaged 
varieties almost as varied and elegant as the flowers themselves. We do not speak doubtingly on 
tins subject, for already we have sweet foliage with fancy flowers, and the annexed engraving, repre¬ 
senting the foliage of three varieties, selected from a number of seedlings, raised between Anais and 
a Cape species, shows what lias already been done, and from the same parents, and the same seed-pot, 
we have, at the least, six more equally distinct and elegant classes of foliage; let it be remembered, 
too, this foliage is all sweet, and if Anais and one species gives so much variety of character what 
reason is there 
why the fancy 
flowers and other 
Cape species 
should not ex¬ 
hibit similar di¬ 
versity? It is true 
we have not 
bloomed these 
plants, but we 
live in hopes, 
that before the 
“ world’s holi¬ 
day ” closes, in 
July next, we 
shall be able to 
show that our 
experiment has 
not been “ labour 
lostand if the 
plants are fertile, we doubt not in the third generation we shall have good flowers as a prize for 
breeding. 
What might be done for the flower-garden by judicious crossing with many of our old bedding 
varieties ? For instance, Anais impregnated with Quercifolium superbum, a brilliant scarlet, with pretty 
oak leaves; or Fair Helen, a pretty light oak-leaved variety, impregnated with some of the brightest 
colours in the fancy class, such as Fairy Queen, Formosissiinum, and Formosa. For shape and colour 
those with broad petals must be selected for this purpose, as the broader the petals the greater the 
surface to show the colour. Again, what endless and curious varieties may be obtained by crossing 
them with the Cape Pelargoniums, which would give in part their- beautiful rich colour, and many their 
palm-like leaves ? In hybridizing these two classes, great care must be taken in the selection of parents. 
Where colour is the object aimed at, take some of the highest coloured and best formed in the fancy 
class. Anais and Jehu, though old, are good breeders ; Fulgidum, with its brilliant scarlet flowers, would 
make a good male parent, for many of the fancies, if judiciously crossed; Bipinnatifidum and 
Quinquevulnerum would do much for fancy foliage; and Citriodorum, with many others of the Cape 
species, would lend their perfume. That these will cross with the fancy varieties I feel confident, 
from the fact that a year or two back I obtained a cross between Anais and Campylea lac-iniata, which 
proved a beautiful little plant, appearing at a first glance more like a small Indian Pink than a 
Pelargonium. It has also very singular palmate leaves, partaking in a great measure of its male parent 
Campylea laciniata. This plant obtained a medal from Dr. Findley, as an entirely new cross, and is at 
EXAMPLES OF XKff FANCY-FOLIAGED PELARGONIUMS. 
V/ 
