124 
THE FLORIST^ JOURNAL. 
in three different orders of the Linnaean arrangement. The gera¬ 
niums have ten stamens all perfect and fertile ; the pelargoniums 
only seven ; and the erodiums only five,—the rest being abortive 
or obliterated, and the perfect number constant. 
All the florists’ geraniums are pelargoniums having seven 
stamened flowers ; and, as we already remarked, they have been 
almost exclusively obtained from Southern Africa. We shall not 
pause to inquire into their specific differences; but they are so 
obedient to culture that the varieties are almost innumerable ; and 
a great majority of them are so exceedingly beautiful that, if we 
leave novelty out of the question, it is not easy to say which 
deserves the preference. All their colours are fine ; and they are 
so varied that it is difficult to imagine a finer sight than the col¬ 
lection of Mr. Gaines, or any other extensive, skilful, and success¬ 
ful grower, when they are in the prime of their flowering. 
This month we have figured two, both we believe seedlings of 
1839 ; and we leave the reader to judge as to which is superior, 
and conclude this notice by the following notes from Mr. Gaines. 
“ I put out my cuttings of Pelargoniums in July ; and put them into a cold 
frame well shaded from the sun. When they are rooted I put them in a com¬ 
post consisting of equal parts of loam and peat earth, mixed with a little 
silver sand. 
“ In the last week of September I house my plants, keeping the house at 
the temperature of about 40°, and giving them all the air that I can during 
the day. 
“ In the beginning of February I pot them into larger pots,—say, the 
smaller plants into twenty-four’s, and the larger into sixteen’s or twelves. 
When this is completed I give them a little constant heat to cause them to 
make fresh fibres. The compost which I use is one half of good rich loam, 
and the other equal quantities of peat and leaf mould, with about a quart of 
silver sand to a bushel of the compost. When potting, I stop off all the points 
of the leading shoots, so that the plants may be kept short and bushy. 
N. Gaines.” 
As Mr. Gaines stands liigh as a grower of these beautiful 
flowers, whether for the window, the conservatory, or for forcing, 
his mode of treatment respecting propagation by cuttings may be 
safely relied upon ; and we shall soon have an opportunity of 
giving an account of cross impregnation, and the breeding of seed¬ 
lings, either by him or by some other equally qualified. 
In treating of the general habits of the pelargonium, as derived 
from the strong seasonal action of its native land, we omitted to 
