whatever cause, has frequently to be remedied by spring propagation. This can be carried out with success only where there is a command of artificial heat all through the spring. The method I have adopted is to place the stock of autumn-struck and of older plants in a temperature of 60° to 65° early in February. As soon as they make a fresh growth of a few inches, and have pretty well filled their pots with roots, they are topped for cuttings. A few leaves should always be left on the parent plants; and all the cuttings should not be taken from old-lifted plants at once, because, if cut too close, they receive a sudden check. The best way is to go over them several times, taking the strongest cuttings.

The best time to strike these is in March and early in April, after the plants have been excited into fresh growth. Cuttings always strike more freely after than before the growth, and it is also much better for the parent plants. Well-drained pots, pans, or boxes, filled with equal parts loam, leaf-mould, and sand, sifted through a quarterinch sieve, form an excellent medium for striking in. After the cuttings are put in, a watering of lukewarm water should be given, to settle the soil about the cuttings. They should be placed in a temperature of 65°, near the glass, and where they can have full sun, from which it is not desirable to shade them, unless it be a short time in the middle of the day-more to prevent drying the soil than anything else. Keep the soil moderately moist, and in three weeks they will be ready to pot off. In potting them, care is required in turning them out of the pots, so as not to injure the young roots. I very frequently pot off as soon as the roots are just formed; and when room can be commanded, put the cuttings at once into the pots in which they are to

remain, to obviate the check from breakage of roots at potting-off time. After being potted, return them to the same heat in which they have been rooted, till the roots reach the bottom and sides of the pots, when they can be removed to colder quarters to make room for others. Of course, if increase of stock be urgent, they can be kept in heat till they in their turn yield their tops for cuttings. By thus keeping old and young plants in heat for three months, it is astonishing how stock can be increased.

The principal evils to be avoided in spring-striking, are a damp stagnant atmosphere, and keeping the cuttings too damp on the one hand, and on the other allowing them at any time to become so dry as to cause them to droop and shrivel. Bottom heat is not necessary, although, when the other necessary conditions can be applied along with it, there is no objection to it.

Soil most suitable for Beds of Zonale Pelargoniums.—A light sandy loam, moderately enriched with either wellrotted dung or leaf-mould, and resting upon a dry gravelly bottom, is the best for producing a moderately strong growth and profusion of bloom. The stronger varieties, especially of this section, grow too much to leaf when planted in rich, damp, heavy soils, more particularly in wet localities. In such localities, the beds, if possible, should be made up of soil more light and porous than is desirable for dry situations. The depth of soil should be less, and the beds more elevated, and thoroughly drained, with the view of promoting a growth more productive of bloom. In some parts of the country, such as the wetter parts of the west and south-west of Scot▾ land and north of England, it is a good plan to plunge the plants in the beds, in pots varying from 4-inch to 6-inch sizes, which has a greater tendency than any

thing to throw the plants into bloom. When this practice is adopted, as it is in many instances, it is desirable to save and use as large a proportion of the plants for several years in succession as possible. Old plants flower more freely, and by being kept in their pots the blooming disposition is increased. It is generally found that, when kept thus a few years, and it is decided to keep them no longer, they acquire such a short-jointed habit that they may be turned out of their pots the last season with advantage. Some sorts are more suitable for certain soils and localities than others, and these peculiarities can only be thoroughly decided by experience in various localities. When practising in a damp locality, I have seen the flowering qualities of some of the strong-growing ones wonderfully improved by making the beds shallow, and mixing burnt clay, sand, and cinders with the heavy soil, to make it dry and porous. It is a good plan to go over Pelargonium beds, which have a tendency to strong growth, about the beginning of August, and pinch just the terminal bud out of each shoot. This checks the wood or stem growth, and the trusses grow more strongly, and are thrown up more prominently than when stopping is not practised.

Select List of Zonale and Plain-leaved Pelargoniums most suitable for Beds and Lines.-Those marked * are best where a small collection only is grown, and those marked † are nosegay varieties.

Admiration, crimson scarlet.

* Alexander, deep pink, large truss. +* Amy Hogg, purplish rose.

Beauty, vivid scarlet, white eye.

+ Black Dwarf, crimson scarlet, very dwarf.
Chilwell Beauty, rose; fine.

* Christine, rosy pink,

*

Frogmore Scarlet, deep scarlet.
* Glendinning's Scarlet, scarlet.

+ Firebrand, crimson scarlet; very dwarf.
* Glorious, scarlet.

Helen Lindsay, rosy pink.

Lady Constance Grosvenor, fiery red.

*Le Grand, crimson scarlet.

* Little David, scarlet; dwarf.

Lord John Russell, scarlet; dwarf.

Lord Palmerston, lake, tinted with crimson.
Louisa, bright rose, shaded with salmon.
+ Magenta Queen, magenta or rosy crimson.
Minnie, crimson scarlet.

* Madame Vaucher, white.

Mrs Whitty, deep rose.

Orange Globe, orange scarlet.

* Perfection (Sutton's Scarlet), deep scarlet.

+ Pink Nosegay, pink.

* Pride of Osberton, scarlet.

+* Rival Nosegay, reddish crimson.

Rose Queen, bright pure rose.

Rose Rendatler, rose pink.

Scarlet Gem, orange scarlet.

*Stella, crimson scarlet.

*Surrey Rival, like Stella, but dwarfer.

* Trentham Rose, rosy scarlet.

* Tom Thumb, scarlet.

* Vesuvius, scarlet, dwarf and fine.

Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums suitable for Edgings and Vases:

Elegans foliis variegatis, silver-margined leaves.
Peltatum elegans, mauve-coloured flowers.

Old White.

Pink Flowers.

foliis variegatis.

Blushing Beauty, like Old White, with bluish flower.

Bridal Wreath, large white flowers.

A vast number more might be included, but these are what I have proved to be the best for beds and lines, because they are the freest bloomers, as far as my experience goes. I have proved hundreds of varieties, many of which are very fine, judged by the individual trusses of flower, and most of them are very fine in pots; but it requires a combination of habit and freedom of bloom to qualify a Pelargonium for the parterre. All the nosegay varieties named are very effective, and bloom best in poor soil.

VARIEGATED PELARGONIUMS.—Autumn Propagation and Winter Treatment.-Under this head I include the golden and tricolor leaved varieties. Variegated Pelargoniums are among the most chaste and pleasing parterre plants that we possess. Being of a compact and even habit, they are strikingly effective either in beds, or when used for edgings and long lines. They have also the merit of standing wet seasons remarkably well. They are considered more tender and difficult to propagate and winter than the Zonale varieties; and, generally speaking, they are so, and will not put up with the same hardships.