The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-09-03
Winter Blooming Geraniums and
Their Treatment.


A great many persons say to me:
GLOW is it that you manage to have
your geraniums bloom in winter?
We have tried, time and again, but
from December to March, our plants
have no flowers. We take good care
Of our plants. They have good soil
to grow in, plenty of light and are
kept from frost. The fault does not
seem to be ours. They grow we'll,
but the flowers that we want are not
produced. You must have pecul-
lar knack-tell us what it isl
All the ''knack" there is about
having flowers on geraniums
through the winter, consists in Sc
lectine proper varieties and giving
them q somewhat different treatment
from that given summer Towering
geraniums. I am convinced, from
some years experience with this
class of plants, that the principal
reason why so many fail to obtain
flowers in winter, is that they do not
take pains to select winter blooming
varieties, or, at least, such varieties
as have a tendency to bloom at all
seasons of the year. If they have
kind which proves satisfactory during
the summer, they try to make a
winter bloomer of it, and generally
fail. Sometimes these varieties will
bloom occasionally during winter,
if not allowed to exhaust themselves
by summer Towering, but they are
very unsatisfactory as a general
thing.
NV present collection of geran-
iums for winter Towering is the re-
suit of careful selection and expert
ment during the last five years. [
have discarded all but those which
bloom we'll, and | have also rejected
all inferior kinds, aiming to have my
collection a choice one. All the va
rieties I grow have fine, well
shaped flowers Of choice colors, and
are all that can be desired as to style
of growth and habit of blooming
The varieties in my collection are as
follows: -
Avenir National; beautiful rosy
crimson, large flower and constant
bloomer. Ben. Zee
Mrs. James Wick; white with pink
centre; fine truss and flower, aud the
best of its class.
Mrs, Moore; white with salmon
spot on base of each petal; very pro-
fuse.
Mary Hallock Foote; salmon, with
white eve, fine flower and great
bloomer.
Pauline Lucca; pure white, exceed
ingly beautiful.
Marmion; very large perfect flow
ca, of rich scarlet.
Rienzi; bright scarlet, constant
bloomer.
Among the doubles [ have but
three which [ can depend on for
winter flowers, these are:
Bishop Wood; scarlet shaded with
violet.
Crimson Gem: rosy crimson.
Minstre Constans; pale, soft pink,
shading to salmon.
The Bishop Wood will bloom the
year round if one allows it to.
| do not allow these plants to
bloom much during summer. In
June I cut them back severely and
put them on the veranda. | give
only enough water to keep them from
drying up. l do not encourage
growth, merely aim to keep them
at rest in healthy condition until
September. Then report them. l
always use old plants; | do not have
quarter the flowers from new
plant-by that mean plant start
ed in apring-that succeed in get.
ting from plant year or two old.
After the repotted plants become
we'll established | give stimulent.
hut never oftener than once q week.
| use the Ammoniated Food for
Flowers, and that only. 1t is some
thing. that can be depended on, is
clearly and convenient to use. 1t
induces strong vigorous growth
and | have never had Il plant to be-
come unhealthy under its ap2licat-
ion.
Geraniums treated as above, soon
begin TO put ont many robust branch
IS, and by pinching these in when