Daily Kennebec journal., 1881-12-10
misfsllanfOl,s.
somethin. about Geraniams.

five are to Judge by the number OF
Howerless and almost Ieafess plants which
are everywhere to be seen. we should say
that large majority of those who keep
plants fail TO take proper care OF them
No one can have fine plants unless ne
is willing to give them proper attention
The object of this paper is to throw out a
few hints to assist in their successful Gull
fiyation.
Geraniums should be cultivated for
foliage as well as flowers Both may be
attained if they are potted in suitable
earth. given a proper amount OF water
and few hours sunshine daily.
Some OF the finest plants ! have ever
seen in winter, had only the afternoon
sun. They do best when kept only mod
erately warm. Pelargoniums require
more warmth and more sunshine than
rIDiums proper otherwises' believe the
s,me treatment answers for both.
The preparation Of the earth for potting
is a most important item. ] have never
succeeded well with earth prepared by
greenhouse men. In preparing il myself
/ get a half bushel of light loan, the same
quantity Of dried mu k and also the same
anantitv Of stable dressing, either new or
old. To these are added two quarts Of
fine ashes, ootained, if possible. from the
bottom ot the cook stove beneath the oven.
The whole is thoroughly pulverized and
mixed together. For this purpose COM
mon hoe will answer.
Earth prepared in this manner will re-
ouire no liquid dressing excepting water)
from the time the plants are potted (the
last Of August or first Of September) until
the fnIlnprtnr-
The amount of earth which have men
toned il sufficient for thirty or forty
plants.
The slips which are to be potted in the
fall should be taken from the old plants
soon after they are bedded out in the
spring: at least AZ early as the first or
in the ground where they will be partly
shaded by the old plants. and let alone,
they will be suitable to pot at the time
mentioned.
Plants should be watered whenever dry.
whether once week, morning, noon, or
night, and care should be taken that the
water penctrates to all the roots. lhe
water used should be warm or even hot,
if it is not scalding.
Water in which the hand can be borne
without any discomfort will not lnJure
any healthy plant. Cleanliness should
not be over looked if thrifty plants are to
be obtained. The entire foliage should be
sprnkled. or even entirely washed, every
two or three weeks.
1t is no injury to plants to blossom early
or profuscly, but all blossoms should be
removed as soon as they begin to fade.
In regard to the most desirable varieties
for cultivation | am hardly prepared to
speak, as the same plants are known by
different names in different localities. |
can however mention a few. Th" Her
aid of Spring is hardy. thrifty. has fine To-
liage, is profuse bloomer in winter or
summer. and has large rich clusters Of
flowers which do not soon fade or fall of.
If there is any objection to this geranium.
IL is that it requires considerable room, as
il is inclined to send out branches pretty
widely. II is n very fine plant for bed
ding out. have sometimes seen upwards
OF sixty clusters of blossoms on single
plant set in the ground.
There are other scarlet varieties ot sin
gle gcraniums nearly as desirable, and
among the double varieties the double sal
mon and King William are very fine. Both
ARE almost constant and prot,lse boomers
Almost any variety however will well re-
pay the attention which they require tC
make them source of pleasure, rather
than of ANNOYANCE. as all scrubby ant
sickly plants must bc.-Portland Tran
SrriDf