372 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Septembeb 18, 1860. 
chiefly devoted to Grapes in pots, some ripening off their fruit, I 
and many new sorts in framing for the future. In the third, 
or conservatory department, where the word “beautiful” bo 
much preponderated, were Fuchsias, Marantas, Dracaenas, Ach - 
menes, Hibhertias, Begonias, Liliums, Ferns, &c., in blooming ! 
health, standing on stages on Stonesfield stone broken small, than 
which nothing in the world could answer better for the purpose. 
The structure was shaded with Shaw’s tiffany ; and being one of 
the finest days we have had this year, I saw that that also for the 
purpose was very good. In the kitchen garden, close by the 
orchard-house which we know of, is erected a small early-forcing 
structure. I have set my heart upon it—viz., one like it. I 
think Mr. R. intends to transfer his Peaches from their pots into 
borders in the orchard-house. 
The paraphernalia of culinary crops were good. The fruit 
trees are young and promising, excepting the Peaches. Currant s 
and Rasps abundant. Gooseberries so so. Keens' Seedling, 
Kitley's Goliath, British Queen, and Sir Harry are the Straw¬ 
berries grown ; and the produce have been most abundant, ex¬ 
cepting the British Queen, which, Mr. R. told me, was his master. 
Sir Harry he spoke very highly of, and has promised it to me t > 
increase my plantation. I also noticed a good crop of Blac’c , 
Ischia Figs against the garden-wall; and then, after witnessing 
sundry old English games, and listening to the singing of thi 
Rev. Mr. RobiDson and family, who, with Mrs. Robinson, vie 1 
with each other to make their visitors happy, the happy com¬ 
munity broke up to the song of “Rule Britannia” and “Got 
save the Queen.”— Upwabds and Onwaeds. 
BEDDING GERANIUMS AND THEIR 
TREATMENT LONG AGO. 
It is not to be wondered at, that a plant so popular as the 
Geranium is in the flower garden should be the subject of variou . 
comments amongst the readers and writers of The Cottage 
Gaedener ; for it has been steadily advancing in usefulness, t 
believe, during the greater part of the present century, and th 
many sections, not to mention varieties, into which it has been 
divided, and each made subservient to the purposes of the now 
fastidious flower-gardener, who having a great number of va 
rieties to choose from, rejects many that in times gone by would 
have been gladly accepted. But there is a popular error abroad, 
especially amongst young gardeners, that planting Scarlet Gera 
niums in a mass is a modern method of making these handsome 
adjuncts to the parterre effective; whereas, I believe, the plan was 
in use at least fifty years ago. My own acquaintance with it as 
a bedder commenced in 1829, where, at an out-of-the-way place, 
far remote from any other garden but itself possessing glass 
structures, the old Horseshoe Geranium was planted in a 
circular bed, iu a manner which has not been improved on since. 
This old-fashioned circular bed was surrounded by a Bort of wire 
guard about a foot or more high, and the old plants of Gera¬ 
niums which had been wintered in a cool vinery were planted in 
this bed about the first week in June, and they were allowed to 
ramble and fill the wire basket at their pleasure. How long 
prior to 1829 this was done at the same place I, did not at the 
time think it worth while inquiring ; but the system of planting 
out and taking up again was at that time about as perfect as it 
is now. The extent at which it is now done has certainly been 
multiplied many times over; but the old Horseshoe Geranium 
was then a useful servant, and, no doubt, is the parent of all our 
Scarlets, the particular merits of which there is so much difference 
of opinion upon. 
Almost coeval with the old Horseshoe was the old Gold and 
Silver-edged Geraniums. These, however, were not so plentiful 
The Gold-edged was, as far as my recollection goes, not unlike 
the Golden Chain of the present day ; but I have but a vague 
recollection of it, and neither of them were much used for out¬ 
door work, and both were regarded with less interest than one 
which made its appearance about that time, bearing the some¬ 
what paradoxical name of the White Scarlet Geranium. Cer¬ 
tainly this Geranium was white, with the foliage of the ordinary 
Scarlet tribe. Its flowers, however, were never favourites, and it 
fell into disrepute, especially as some of the greenhouse class 
seemed better adapted for out-door display. ' One of the first of 
these that I was acquainted with was Moor's Victory : this was 
about 1830, and as a Scarlet of the class from which I think some 
of our Uniques must have sprung, it has not been excelled much 
yet in colour. Davyanum, as a purple, followed soon after, and 
the section now called “ French,” had a tolerable good repre¬ 
sentative in Yeatmanianum, which flourished about 1834. Some 
years afterwards followed Dennis's Rival, which was the first of 
the small-leaved section since called Fancies. 
I do not mention the above dates as the original period when 
the kinds just mentioned first made their appearance, but only to 
say that they were known in a very remote part of the country at 
that time, and we all know that neither the modes of transit, 
nor the means of rapid propagation were as perfect then as they 
are now. Nevertheless, some time about 1832, Moor's Victory 
was bedded out in a mass, and some years before that a white 
variety called Macrantha was also used in a similar way ; but 
the same fault was found then as now—a great abundance of 
leaves and few flowers. So that the greenhouse varieties of 
Geraniums, or Pelargoniums as they are sometimes called, have 
never been popular flower-garden bedders, though the Fancies do 
pretty well where they can be had in sufficient abundance for the 
purpose. 
It is not my purpose to offer any remarks on the genealogy of 
the various breeds of Geraniums now in use, my object is simply 
to point out to the young gardener the kinds his fore-elders had 
to deal with, and the manner in which they did so ; and having 
said that the first bed of Scarlets I ever knew planted out were 
treated precisely as some of the best-managed ones are done now, 
the question to be asked is,—In what manner have we advanced p 
Some will be saying in our propagation, and in the improvement 
that has taken place in the kinds used. To a certain extent this 
is certainly true. In the many new varieties a very great advance 
has taken place; but the propagation of "Scarlet Geraniums in 
1830 was precisely the same as in 1860— i. e., in the full sun and 
out of doors. I remember perfectly well an old Scarlet Gera¬ 
nium that occupied a large space of the back wall of a greenhouse, 
and, of course, flowered abundantly ; but some time early in the 
summer it had to be trimmed in, and the long, rampant shoots 
were cut into lengths, and planted as cuttings on the top of a 
compost-heap in the back ground of the garden, and they rooted 
freely; and being put in much earlier than we are accustomed to 
put in our main supply now, they sooner became good plants, 
and were each afforded a pot. How many years prior to 1830 
this old plant had been subject to the treatment here given I 
cannot say; but I do not think the plan was considered new at 
that time, otherwise the system of mysteriousness which, it is but 
justice to say, clogged many of the departments of our craft at 
that time, would have cast a cloak around this as well. But it is 
sufficient to say that striking Scarlet Geraniums in the full sun 
was practised thirty years ago, and how long before that time I 
leave for older men to determine. 
Following the Scarlet Geranium in its course from 1830 to 
1840. One of the most popular varieties in its class was called 
Brighton Hero; and I think this kept a respectable position 
until, some time about 1838, a globular scarlet kind called Sol 
became the favourite of the day. This, however, gave way to 
that excellent dwarf variety Frogmore Scarlet, which followed 
very soon after, and was very generally used about 1840. Coeval 
with the Frogmore was the Huntsman, equally good as a Scarlet, 
but the leaves more opaque. These two kinds made, I think, as 
good a bed as is to be seen now. In fact, the best Frogmore I 
ever knew seemed to me identically the same as Tom Thumb, of 
which much stir was made in 1845 and subsequently, and which 
lias deservedly remained a favourite ever since. But at the time 
of its introduction the plants I became possessed of differed so 
little, if at all, from the Frogmore I had at the time, I was under 
the impression they were one and the same thing. Subsequently, 
however, the Frogmore was lost sight of, and Tom Thumbs 
became the fashion; and though many other Scarlets have been 
added to the list, none are at the present day so extensively grown 
and admired. I might, however, add that about the same time 
as Tom Thumb came into use, a large variety called Smith's 
Kmperor was also added to our lists. From this has sprung 
others of the like character : one I have in use now, Mrs. Mayler, 
not so large as the Kmperor, but being a more abundant bloomer, is 
very useful as a centre plant. The Pink-flowered section, com¬ 
mencing with Lucia rosea, also came into use about 1846 or 
1847; and a year or two afterwards the Rose-coloured section, 
represented by Judy and others, followed. And the subsequent 
varieties which followed these being legion, and all coming within 
modern times, it is needless here continuing the list any farther. 
It is hardly fair to close this paper without noticing the 
Yariegated varieties. Unfortunately, however, my knowledge of 
these is limited. Thirty years ago there were, so far as 1 can 
