CHA^F^TEK XIX. 
Tlie Gerani 
The iinpiovement in the Geranium by English and American florists, both in 
the size of the individual flower, or their clusters, or their foliage, are really 
wonderful when compared with the flowers of fifteen years ago. 
Frequently the single flower is now as large as a silver quarter of a dollar, 
and the trusses will often measure over six inches in diameter, while colors are 
seen from the purest white to most delicate rose, brilliant scarlet, richest crim- 
son, loveliest salmon-color, and striped pink and white. 
The foliage is also much imjjroved ; it is margined with gold or silver, zoned 
with chocolate, white, black, crimson, and gold, and in a few choice varieties, 
like Lady Ciillum and Madame Pollock} nearly all these colors may be seen i 
one .separate leaf 
Their habits are also changed from the straggling growth of former times, to 
dwarf, compact shrubs, which are in perfect shape. 
The florist's skill has taken still another step, and produced the Double Flow- 
ered Geranium, whose individual flowers are double as a Chrysanthemum, and 
do not drop their petals as the single vai'ieties, but each flower withers on its 
stem ; and by cutting it off the other flowers fill its place, and the beauty of the 
cluster is preserved for a long season. These varieties run through the same 
series of colors as single species, although a pure snowy white has not yet been 
produced, but a peach blossom variety shows that the white will soon appear. 
The flower clusters are often enormous — sixty flowers having been produced 
on one truss — and they are exceedingly beautiful for bouquets, baskets, and 
AV"ith the other improvements have come a Lilliputian variety with smaller 
foliage, and a compact, dwarf growth, very vigorous in habit, while the flowers 
equal in beauty those of the taller varieties. 
The Ivy-leaved species have yielded to the effects of hybridizing with the 
Zonale class, and the results are great improvements in the foliage, variegating 
the leaves with yellow, pink and white, while the flowers have increased in size 
and color, and approach nearer to those of the Zonales. 
The sweet-scented Geraniums have also increased in number, and a variegated 
leaved Rose Geranium has been introduced whose foliage is very attractive. 
These different varieties are propagated by seeds and cuttings chiefly. The 
seeds require sandy soil and warmth to vegetate, but will sometimes spring up 
of themselves in the open ground. 
