312 
Pelargonium-Oil. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1921. 
especially,  at  a  length  of  from  25  to  30  cm.  The  expense  for  one 
thousand  cuttings  varies  from  0.6  to  2  francs. 
A  good  cutting  must  have  from  4  to  5  lateral  buds.  The  larger 
part  of  the  leaves  must  be  removed,  as  otherwise  the  heat  would 
harm  them.  The  cutting  must  be  done  with  a  knife,  not  by  break- 
ing, for  the  quick  production  of  a  callus,  as  otherwise  mould  fungi 
enter  the  wound.  The  preparation  of  the  cutting  is,  therefore,  the 
same  as  with  our  P.  zonale.  In  most  cases  they  are  put  in  boxes  in 
such  a  manner  that  there  is  an  interval  between  the  plants  of  a  row, 
amounting  to  1  or  2  cm.,  and  also  between  the  different  rows, 
amounting  to  15  or  20  cm.  The  cuttings,  well  rooted,  are  put  in  the 
open  land  from  15  to  20  cm.  deep  and  earthed  up  slightly.  The  dis- 
tance between  the  individual  plants  varies.  According  to  Charabot 
and  Gatin  (p.  292)  there  is,  in  most  cases,  a  distance  of  from  30  to 
35  cm.  between  the  plants  of  a  row,  and  one  of  from  70  to  80  cm. 
between  the  rows.  On  a  hectare  there  may  be,  then,  from  35,000  to 
50,000  plants.  Heuze  (p.  306)  proposes  from  40  to  50  cm.  between 
the  individual  plants  of  a  row,  and  from  65  to  100  cm.  between  the 
rows.  The  same  author  points  out  that  in  the  plantations  of  Simon- 
net  in  Hussein  Dey  and  of  Chiris  in  Boufarik,  a  distance  of  90  cm. 
between  the  plants  and  rows  is  used,  so  that  the  hectare  contains 
from  10,000  to  12,000  plants.  For  the  plantations  of  Mercusin  in 
Cheragas  and  of  Ferraud  in  Hydra,  the  distance  between  the  plants 
and  rows  is  50  cm.,  and  the  total  amount  of  plants  is  40,000  per 
hectare. 
DISEASES. 
There  are  very  few  diseases  from  which  the  plant  has  to  suffer. 
In  its  youth  it  is  attacked  by  insects.  In  a  full-grown  stage,  the  oil 
is  a  good  protection  against  insects  and  snails.  Cuscuta  does  not  do 
great  harm  to  the  plant.  Then  the  shrubs  must  be  cut  away  and  the 
stumps  sprinkled  over  with  a  liquid  of  5  per  cent,  of  iron-vitriol. 
Species  of  Orobanche  may  also  sponge  upon -pelargonium.  Of  other 
weeds  prejudicial  to  its  growth,  Cynodon  dactylon  L.  may  be  men- 
tioned. 
HARVEST. 
The  plants  well  cultivated  may  reach  the  height  of  a  meter,  and 
in  Algeria  they  are  cut  in  the  course  of  the  hot  season  with  a  sickle, 
three  or  two  times.  The  weather  must  be  sunny  and  dry.  At  the 
first  harvest,  which  generally  takes  place  in  April,  the  branches  may 
