64 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 24, 1903/ 
Zonal Pelargoniums. 
The Florists’ Triumph. 
It is questionable whether there exists a garden where 
Geraniums are not grown. They are the cottagers’ “ must haves ’ 
and the gardener’s mainstay. Few are the open air gardens that 
do not have them in their make-up, but it is not in this direction 
that I am advocating their uses. Bather for a greenhouse display 
is my reason for penning this article. 
Although there are scores who have seen the Zonal as it should 
be, there are thousands, especially amateurs, who have no idea as 
to the marvellous perfection this easy doing plant has reached. 
From the loose small flowers they have become circular in form 
and gigantic in size, while the straggling growth has been re¬ 
placed by dwarf, .short-jointed and large-leaved habits. At one 
time Zonals were a special feature of mine, but other items 
claimed my attention, so that until I fell in with a clever amateur 
enthusiast Zonals were merely a password. 
To make an inexpensive and desirable start, cuttings should be 
obtained in August, but as spring is upon us, rooted plants are 
the desideratum, in order to get a good summer display. Re¬ 
specting cuttings, thumb pots are the best, and cuttings should 
be inserted singly, afterwards standing them on a light shelf or 
in a frame, little water being needed. As soon as rooted shift on 
to 3in. pots, returning to their former position. During the winter 
little or no attention is required, a temperature of 40deg., with 
very little water, being suitable. At the beginning of March 
turn them into 4in. pots, using a loamy soil, plenty of coarse 
Sand, and a little leaf mould. The tops of the plants should be 
removed, .and every encouragement given them to grow sturdily. 
Shift again into 5in. pots, well firming the soil when! doing so. 
Previous to this stage all buds should be pinched out, and if 
necessary the leading growths. As soon as shifted buds may be 
encouraged to start by carefully removing the growths im¬ 
mediately above them in order to keep the plants dwarf, and cause 
them to break. Feeding with chemical manures, should com¬ 
mence as soon as pots are filled, not forgetting a soot solution 
occasionally. As the flowers open shade should be provided, and 
on no account should the plants be syringed, but a sponge is an 
admirable dust remover if used damp. So much for culture to 
procure a summer display. 
For winter work cuttings should be planted in spring and 
shifted on into their flowering pots as required. A sunny position 
outdoors .should be given them from June till September, atten¬ 
tion being given to pinching and removing all buds, .until the 
latter month, when a place inside should be found, and a light 
position to boot. 
Some varieties give themselves to. winter work better than 
others, but no vast mistake can be made in this direction. The 
enumerated varieties are those I dotted down, and include both 
English and foreign. Regarding the American) varieties, I am 
not aware of anyone cataloguing .all those mentioned, although a 
number i re obtainable here. 
Commencing with doubles, we. have Silver Queen, a fine pure 
white, which, however, is surpassed by La Favourite. Hermione 
is well known, but is semi-double, but a fine thing for winter 
work. In Fraicheur we have a most exquisite Picotee edge, the 
colour being white, edged pink. Companions to it are Mme. 
Alcide Bruneau, white, magenta edge, and Aquarelle, white and 
pink. I have yet to see an improvement on Golden Gate, a most 
vivid orange-scarlet, with a visible yellow shading. Francis 
Maynard is a choice dark crimson ; while Colonel Baden-Poweii 
is a very fine orange scarlet, being a production of a London 
amateur. Lady Kandahar is a hire deep salmon, as is Violet 
Daniels, the latter being especially large. Huber Chaxron is very 
striking owing to clear white centre, handed by carmine, touched 
up with white spots. Jean Viand, a very profuse variety, has 
rosy-pink flowers, with a white centre. Thomas Meehan takes the 
eye with its rosy pink flowers, the upper petals of which are 
blotched with orange. S. A. Nutt is one of the darkest crimson 
doubles I have seen, although Sombre Horizon is not greatly 
unlike it. Colossus is a huge bright crimson, and well known. 
A. Rouillard as a magenta is probably without equal, while 
Edison is a very bright shade of the same colour. Mme. Wett- 
stein is a mottled salmon, with a Picotee edge, making an. attrac¬ 
tive bloom. Aime Henriot as .a peach pink, I thinlk, stands alone, 
and Gyp, with its blush pink and spotted flowers, is very taking, 
lii the pip alid truss Lord Derby is a beauty, the pink being an 
exquisite shade. Chas. Gouniod makes an effective flower, owing 
to its colour being bright scarlet, with -a large white centre. 
Henry de Parville has a similar centre, but the remaining colour 
is magenta rose. Grand Duchesse Olga is very free, with its 
mottled flowers edged with purple. Raspail Improved cannot be 
omitted, as it assuredly is a most valuable scarlet. Alphonse 
Ricard is a glorious rosy scarlet semi-double ; while Mme. 
Charrotte is a great acquisition with its mottled flowers. Le 
Colosse, a clear red, is a huge thing, but I here would say that 
this variety and its two predecessors, together with Jean Viand 
and Thos. Meehan, belong to the gigantic or nosegay section, and 
bear huge trusses. 
To continue with singles, and to enumerate every good one is a 
difficult task, but the following are grand in every way: — Mme. 
Bruant has white flowers, flaked with white, while Chaucer is a 
huge cerise. Virginia is a very fine white, but Mary Seton eclipses 
it; as a salmon Mary Pelton is exquisite. Lillian Duff, a magni¬ 
ficent scarlet of fine form, makes a fine companion to the cherry- 
.red Hall Caine. Wordsworth is a very good orange, and to refer 
to purple, there are few, if any, can equal Royal Purple. Lord 
Kitchener is a magnificent soft scarlet, The Sirdar being a close 
rival. Mrs. C. C. Tudway is a beautiful rosy cerise, while King 
of Crimsons is not truly of that colour. Soldier’s Tunic is a most 
beautiful scarlet. W. P. Wright is a splendidly-formed bright 
.scarlet. Wintie is a pleasing shade of rose with a white eye, anil 
Cannell’s Favourite displays magenta, with a white centre. An 
improvement on Wordsworth is J. H. Arderne, and Aurea 
Petfecta shows the yellow which we so much desire to see. 
Rudyard Kipling, with its crimson-purple flowers, with a bright 
blotch on upper petals, is a striking variety. A most delicate 
shade of pink is Georgia, while Indiana shows a trace of lilac. 
California is a white centred salmon-pink of fine form. Ohio, a 
deep blood scarlet, is rendered mote noticeable by its very dark 
veins, as is Kansas, the ground of this being orange-scarlet. 
Missouri approaches a greyish tinge, while Wisconin, a bright 
crimson violet, has a white rayed centre. In Vermont the pips 
are. cupped somewhat like a show Pelargonium, a.s is Rhode 
Island, the first-named being pink with crimson markings, and 
the latter pale blush, rayed violet. A promising orange is Mal- 
gache, showing yellow greatly in its make-up. 
Mrs. Kendal Barnes is sweetly pretty, having white flowers, 
mottled with scarlet. Mr. Kendal Barnes is a popular colour, 
being crimson, flushed with purple. A delicate blush is Lady 
Curzon/, and Mrs. Brown Potter runs into a darker shade. In 
The Maine we have a soft lake tint, quite a distinct shade. 
Jerome Iv. Jerome, although loose in form, is a colour alone, 
being a bronzy salmon. Clear magenta pink is Winston 
Churchill, the white eye making it even more distinct. Menelik 
is not unlike the above, although scarcely so good. Dryden, as a 
clear rosy red, blotched with white, has companions in Countess 
de Morelia and Southey, which run somewhat alike in markings. 
Andrew Laing might be termed a bicolour, having a large white 
blotch on! the upper scarlet petals, with carmine suffusions on the 
basal florets. Mark Twain is another fine variety of this reticu¬ 
lated strain, possessing as it does a white ground, flaked and 
freckled with carmine, with a lake margin, The spotted strain 
bids fair to become very popular. One of the first was Spotted 
Gem. Belle Alliance, however, is more distinct, having a white 
ground, freely spotted with pink. John L. Childs, a most 
vigorous grower, is an exquisite pearly pink, mottled with dark 
pink spots. Massachusetts is slightly darker, with a great 
number of dark freckles. Oregon, a fine orange scarlet, has 
numerous white markings over its entire flower ; white Kentucky, 
a soft rose, has also numerous spots. Washington, another shade 
of pink, displays these unique markings. A bright rose ground, 
heavily dotted with carmine, is Bobolink, and Nightingale is just 
a shade different in colour. Skylark, almost pure white, is 
especially noticeable owing to the carmine dots. 
The Nosegay section, although loose in form, are brilliant 
tilings, and in conclusion I will mention a few very fine sorts. 
General Dodds is a huge scarlet, while Mrs. Mayes is an enormous 
light salmon. Aurore Boreale, a light scarlet, flushed with 
salmon:, runs Gloire Lyonuaise closely in colour. Dr. Macdonald 
is huge in the truss, crimson scarlet being its colour. A com¬ 
panion to it is Fiery Cross, an immense crimson-scarlet. — Cal. 
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