66 
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PELARGONIUMS. 
When properly cultivated, nothing can excel the 
Pelargonium for the decoration of the window-garden 
or conservatory. Mr. Henderson, in his “ Practical 
Floriculture,” gives it his first choice. I agree with 
Mr. Henderson—(in short, I think we have excellent 
taste). What is more lovely than the Pelargonium, 
Pet of Cambridge, covered with its magnificent clus¬ 
ters till the green leaves are nearly hidden in blossoms, 
and in pleasing contrast with the dark-spotted and 
brilliant scarlet and crimson varieties ? Since the 
introduction of the double tri-color and new Zonale 
Geraniums, their lovely cousin, the Pelargonium, lias 
been quite neglected; but for late winter and early 
spring blooming, nothing can equal it in beauty. It 
is one of my pet plants, but before telling my manner 
of treatment let me say this is not for those who have 
hot-houses and conservatories, so they may pass it by 
without reading it; for, be it known, I belong to 
what Mr. Tick calls “ that highly respectable class 
who have more taste than money to gratify it.” Now, 
my more favored sisters, please don’t pity me, for I 
have a bay-window, and am happy. 
But to business, beginning with the cuttings: 
About the middle of July I cut back 'all my old 
Pelargoniums to about three or four inches in height, 
selecting from the branches cut away such slips as 
look well-hardened or ripened, starting them in two- 
inch pots. They will root in saucers of sand, but I 
am quite successful rooting them in the soil in which 
they are to grow. When new shoots have started on 
the old plants that wore cut back, to about two inches 
in length, I repot those that I wish to keep for winter 
in pots one size smaller than those which contained 
them before, shaking off all the old soil, and putting 
them into pots clean inside and out. These old 
plants, if well trimmed and the ends of the branches 
occasionally pinched off, will make fine, showy, bushy 
plants when the blooming season arrives. By old 
plants I mean those one year old that have bloomed 
one season. Last year they were magnificent, and 
kept in bloom a long time. 
For soil I use two parts good loam, one part sand, 
and two parts good rich leaf mold, the latter being 
two years old, well rotted, upon which had been 
turned washing suds, slops, etc. I always bake my 
earth to kill the worms, insects, and larvae. Some 
persons think best to start their Pelargoniums in Sep¬ 
tember, but I like best to do it in July. It is so much 
gained, for they get well rooted with side branches 
formed by September. I put my slips in two-inch 
pots in the above-named soil, and place them in warm, 
sunny, windows, close to the glass, being careful not to 
keep them too moist, as it causes them to damp off. 
After the cuttings are well rooted I pinch out the 
centre at the fourth leaf, which induces side shoots to 
form. As soon as these two-inch pots are full of roots 
I repot into those from three to four inches across, ac¬ 
cording to the size and vigor of the plant. I use nice, 
well-cleaned pots, and after the usual piece of crock at 
the bottom put in sufficient earth to lift the plant the 
desired height, putting in the ball of earth entire, after 
first picking out the old piece of crook which has be¬ 
come tangled with the roots. Do not disturb these 
white, working roots, but fill in carefully around the 
sides with a potting stick; give a few smart raps on 
the bench or table with the pot, which will settle the 
earth. It is best to leave a space of half an inch at 
top unfilled to facilitate watering. 
As the side shoots continue to grow pinch off the 
ends, which will cause two to come in place of one. 
When these pots become filled with roots, I shift 
again in those five or six inches across, in which they 
are allowed to bloom. When the buds are well 
formed, and never before, I water the plants once a 
week with liquid manure. If used before they show 
buds it will stimulate to growth of foliage, and not to 
blossoms, and has the same effect as over-potting has 
upon them. This is why so many fail with their 
Pelargoniums, getting few if any blossoms. 
It is best to keep them rather dry through Novem¬ 
ber and December; after, give more moisture, but not 
enough to saturate the roots, as it causes them to de¬ 
cay. They do not like a warm, dry atmosphere, but 
do best if kept about 50 to 55 degrees in a warm, 
sunny window. I keep mine in south windows in a 
chamber which is warmed slightly by means of a 
register in the floor, through which passes the warm 
air from the sitting-room. I kept some of my plants 
there all last winter. It seems just suited to Pelar¬ 
goniums, Verbenas, and plants of like nature. 
As fast as my Pelargoniums in the chamber win¬ 
dow show buds I begin to give them liquid manure, 
and bring them down to the sitting-room and place 
in the sunny bay-window, a few at a time, so as to 
prolong the blooming season (for I like to make the 
most of all my pretty things). I give them air on 
mild, pleasant days, but never in such a manner as to 
place them in a draught or let the air directly upon 
them. 
They are seldom troubled with insects; a good 
smoking with tobacco in the fall and a weekly wash¬ 
ing and sprinkling keep them under subjection. 
Some of my friends have given up the culture of the 
Pelargonium, and I very nearly did so during my early 
acquaintance with it. The first one I ever possessed 
was years ago. I was in the city shopping, had spent 
most of my money, had a little more than enough to 
pay my fare home, when I spied a splendid Pelargo¬ 
nium for sale, in full bloom, in a shop window. I said 
to myself, “I want that plant” (at the same time giv¬ 
ing my porte-monnaie a slight squeeze, for I knew 
there wasn’t much in it). I went in and asked the 
price; it was very dear. I thought I could not afford 
it. I went out, but soon returned, feeling that I must 
have that plant, even though I had to do as a friend 
of mine once did. She, too, had been shopping ; had 
just ten cents left for her fare home in the horse cars 
(it was when silver ten cent pieces were more plenty 
than they are now). It was new and clean. She put 
it in her mouth for a minute while she adjusted her 
bundles, and accidentally swallowed it, and had to 
walk home! 
Excuse me, Mr. Editor, I know it is a great jump 
from Pelargoniums to swallowing ten cent pieces. I 
fear you’ll think me something like the old man’s 
minister “ who was a long time coming to the p’int, 
and when he did he didn’t stick to it worth a cent.” 
Well, about that Pelargonium : I bought it and en¬ 
joyed it amazingly for awhile. At length it ceased to 
bloom, and I thought something must be the matter 
with it. Perhaps its shoes were too tight, and its feet 
all cramped up in that little pot, and so in my good- 
natured “ greenness,” I gave it a pot about four times 
too large, then wondered why it did not bloom again; 
but it never did. At about the same time I took a 
cutting from it, and to insure success, as I thought, I 
put it at once in a six-inch pot, and it grew, and grew, 
and grew, till it was nearly as tall as I am, with never 
a side branch or bud, but leaves most as large as a 
hollyhock’s. 
I had not then paid much attention to floriculture, 
but I loved flowers, and that was all I knew about it. 
I had read nearly nothing on the subject, and when 
some one advised pinching back my Pelargoniums, I 
was simply astonished. I should almost as soon have 
thought of pinching off my children’s arms and legs 
for their benefit as of doing good to my window pets 
by pinching off their branches. But, suffice it to say, 
I never got so much as a bud on my first Pelargoni¬ 
ums ; and what wonder, with such treatment! At 
last, “hope deferred” made my “heart sick,” and I 
let the great overgrown things go, thinking “ their 
room better than their company.” I did not indulge 
in Pelargoniums for several years; but at length, 
reading and learning my mistake, I again renewed my 
acquaintance with them, much to my enjoyment and 
their profit, for their pansy-lilse blossoms seem like so 
many faces crowded together to smile upon me in grat¬ 
itude for my kind care and attention; and with their 
smiling faces peeping out amid the scarlet Geraniums, 
drooping, graceful Fuchsias, and bright-flowering 
bulbs, make my bay-window a “bower of beauty.” 
Well, I’ve told my experience, and “ what I know” 
about Pelargoniums; and as I never talk after I’ve 
nothing more to say (which does not happen very 
often), I’ll make my most graceful bow, and bid you 
all a very good-morning. 
Mrs. Polyanthus Periwinkle. 
Weston, Mass. 
LILY OE THE VALLEY. 
I see by Mr. Vick’s catalogue that he recommends 
imported bulbs of the Lily of the Valley for -winter 
bloom, and as there are many who would like to have 
the blossoms, but feel unable to be at the expense of 
purchasing imported bulbs, I will send you an account 
of my experience this winter, that you may use it, if 
you choose, for their benefit. 
Two weeks and a half before Christmas I had a 
clump of frozen earth containing the bulbs that 
blossom yearly in the garden, chopped out of the 
ground with an axe. They were left in a warm place 
to thaw, and the next day I selected some of the 
largest bulbs, with some of the little roots left on, al¬ 
though not all that belonged to each bulb, and potted 
in rich, warm, moist earth. I kept them on the warm 
water tank attached to the cooking stove during the 
day, and kept them very wet with warm water. 
Sometimes they got very hot. At night I removed 
them to a warm spot near some stove, my only care 
being to keep them very wet and warm, regardless of 
light. On Christmas morning one bud opened, and 
there were a number of spikes of buds formed that 
opened gradually, with all the fragrance of summer, 
though not quite as vigorous in growth. I have had 
a succession of blossoms, and have some now, coming 
on nicely, that have not been forced, cut out of the 
ground since New Years. After the blossoms came, 
I removed the pots to the light and window gradually, 
not subjecting them to a sudden change of temperature. 
I would like to ask, through your columns, advice 
as to the best treatment for the English Ivy in sum¬ 
mer, whether to keep it in the house in a darkened 
room, or to remove out of doors; whether to sink the 
pot in the garden or not, or if it is still better to put 
the root into the ground, and how to treat it in the 
autumn if kept out of doors in the summer. 
M. G. P. 
Keeseville, N. Y. 
