THE GERANIUM 
The Geranium was brought ee its native home i in ‘South Africa 
into England in 1710. It gained great favor there and was quickly in- 
troduced to Holland and other European’ countries, and, by 1750, it 
was flourishing in America. Many new forms began to appear as 
soon as the hybridizers found how interesting hybridization of this 
plant could be. Now, over two centuries since it was discovered in its 
native home, many varieties are known within each species. Flowers 
are both double and single, and colors range from all shades of red 
and pink to pure white. Tracing the genealogy of this plant can be 
a perplexing and frustrating, although quite interesting, experience. 
The common Garden Geranium, of which we are speaking in 
this catalog, is of the botanical genus Pelargonium. The genus Ger- 
anium comprises another group ef plants, also of the Geraniaceae 
family. The botanical Geraniums or Cranesbills are not as extensive- 
ly cultivated, nor are they usually such showy ‘plants as Pelargon- 
iums, the Garden Geraniums. The name Pelargonium means “storks- 
bill,” ‘and refers to the resemblance of the seed capsule to the long, 
slender form of a. stork’s bill. Although the nomenclature of this 
plant is confusing, through years of usage, we have come to refer to 
our garden Pelargonium as a Geranium, and we shall continue to 
de so in this catalog. | | 
