1879 . ] 
NEW SHOW PELAKGONIUMS.-HARDY CYCLAMENS IN POTS. 
65 
NEW SHOW PELARGONIUMS. 
[Plate 489.] 
ELARGONIUMS are, generally speak¬ 
ing, so rich and varied in their colour¬ 
ing, that the materials available by 
artists fail to do them justice. It is so in this 
case, and notwithstanding that Mr. Rosenberg 
was enabled to prepare very fairly accurate 
portraits of the varieties here represented, the 
reproduction of his drawing by chromolitho¬ 
graphy fails much in regard to the brilliancy 
and general effectiveness of the colouring. 
With this explanation, we trust our readers 
will be able to realise the distinct character 
and striking beauty of these novelties, for the 
opportunity of figuring which we are indebted 
to Mr. C. Turner, of Slough. 
Amethyst (Fig. 1) is a decided purple, much 
more so than either Blue Boy or Purple Gem. 
If the centre had been pure white, it would 
have been the most attractive variety known. 
but this is still left to be accomplished by the 
hybridiser. It is, however, much the best of 
its class, and is of dwarf habit, and a most 
profuse bloomer. 
Illuminator (Fig. 2) may be shortly de¬ 
scribed as much the brightest-coloured variety 
which has yet been obtained with a clear 
white centre. For smoothness and refinement 
it has no equal, and it is a very effective 
variety, both for exhibition and the home 
stage. The colour is a brilliant carmine- 
scarlet, altogether unapproached by any pig¬ 
ment within reach of the colourist. 
Both these varieties received First-class Cer¬ 
tificates when exhibited before the Floral 
Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 
last year, and from their high quality and dis¬ 
tinctness of character, they well deserved that 
award.—T. Moore. 
HARDY CYCLAMENS IN POTS. 
S wish to say a few words to advocate the 
more extended culture of these lovely 
spring-blooming plants in pots, and with 
the addition of cold-frame shelter during the 
w'inter. I have to-da}^ March 10th, seen a 
lovely display of these flowers so grown in Mr. 
Barr’s garden, at Tooting, and they were alto¬ 
gether so much more bright and beautiful, as 
compared with the same kinds which have been 
exposed on grass all the winter in the same 
garden, that one might almost be pardoned for 
doubting their identity. The kinds to which 
I allude are C. coum, C. coum ibericum, and 
the white form C. coum Atkinsii, the distin¬ 
guishing characteristics of which may be 
tabulated as follows : — 
1. C. COUM. —Leaves wholly green, flowers rosy 
crimson. 
2. C. COUM IBERICUM. —Leaves grccn, marbled with 
silver-grey; flowers deep rosy crimson. 
3. C. COUM Atkinsii. —Leaves green, marbled nioi'o 
or less with silver-grey; flowers white, with crimson 
spot at the month of the flower. 
All have smooth ronnded cordate leaves, the 
marginal denticnlations being nearly obsolete. 
It has been said that the “ knowable of to¬ 
day becomes the unknown of to-morrow,” so I 
have here set down what Mr. Barr showed me 
very clearly, in far less time than I have spent 
in the writing of it. He also pointed out some 
seedling intermediates, for example, C. coum. 
No. 17. IMPERIAL SERIES. 
with slightly marbled foliage, and C. Atkinsii, 
with blush flowers—that is, white suffused 
with rose, these being the result of indiscri¬ 
minate propagation by seed, on the part of our 
neighbours, the Dutch florists, who have done 
more towards destroying the identity of these 
and many other popular garden-flowers, than 
the whole army of English hybridisers put 
together. We may forgive them, however, for 
in breaking down nature’s barriers of demarca¬ 
tion, they have not unfrequently added a varied 
beauty, far more precious to the great majority 
of gardeners and amateurs. “ The happiness 
of the greatest number ” is secured in this case, 
and thus far all is ivell. 
But why should we seek to grow these 
kinds in pots and in frames, some may ask, 
when they are perfectly hardy, and we have the 
larger-flowered C. persicum in variety, and so 
eminently suitable for pot-culture ? Well, I 
had thought of that too, but the plain fact is 
that one must serve an apprenticeship in the 
culture of it, and have heated houses to boot, 
ere one can turn out a respectable plant of C. 
persicum. To grow this plant really well is 
almost as much a specialty as the casting of 
church-bells, and the amateur who has only 
such protection to offer his pets as a cold frame 
F 
