PELARGONIUMS. 
123 
dation in the way of shelves, &c., yet a confined atmosphere is 
equally injurious to vegetable as to animal life. All the air pos¬ 
sible should be given during the day, so long as the weather 
continues favorable; during the winter the atmosphere of the 
house should be kept at a medium temperature of about 40°, till 
the return of increasing days, *when an increased temperature 
of about 50° may be judiciously applied ; in the short days and 
damp weather of the winter months much care is necessary to 
properly regulate the supply of water; this should be given in 
small quantities, and only when actually required : avoid wetting 
the foliage. Sometimes under the most healthy treatment the 
plants will be subject to attacks from the green fly ( Aphis La~ 
nigera), this should be constantly watched for, and on the first 
appearance fumigation should be had recourse to. 
Early in February, the spring treatment should begin; the 
plants should be repotted. A much stronger soil is now lequired, 
one composed of loam, leaf-mould, peat, and fine white sand is 
generally found to succeed, in which the loam should beai a 
proportion of about one half the whole mass, leaf-mould and 
peat about equal quantities of each, and sufficient sand to keep 
the whole porous. Some cultivators omit the peat, and so use 
a larger proportion of vegetable mould. Frequent attention 
should be directed to stopping the points of the growing shoots, 
and so making the plants dwarf and bushy, and consequently 
increasing the quantity of flowers. A steady constant heat ot 
50° should be kept up : pinching the points of the shoots oil 
should be persisted in till the middle of April, and as the plants 
advance in growth, they should be frequently turned round to 
the light, that all sides may grow alike; this they require at 
least once a week during the whole of the spring growth, until 
the flowers are just expanding; they should then remain in one 
position till they are all full blown, so that the blossoms may all 
incline to the front view: 
The common and necessary precaution of fastening the grow¬ 
ing shoots to sticks must be observed as soon as necessary, each 
shoot being allowed a separate stick, which should be small and 
neat, and placed as much out of sight as possible; free venti¬ 
lation should be strictly attended to ; and that the new growth may 
be encouraged the supply of water should bear a corresponding 
, proportion to the increase of light and heat. Some cultivators 
