liable to breakage, they make fine plants very quickly if kept in heat for a month or six weeks. Springstruck plants generally grow very freely when planted out, and frequently produce finer foliage-for which the variegated varieties are especially prized — than autumn-struck plants. It is, however, always desirable, in these high-pressure times, to accomplish as much of the propagation of Pelargoniums in autumn as possible. Spring propagation of the variegated sorts, in particular, need only be attempted where there is the command of artificial heat. Soil most suitable for Variegated Pelargoniums.—This section, being grown principally for the beauty of their foliage, can scarcely be grown too vigorously. They make the finest leaves in a rich sandy loam. They are, however, exceedingly impatient of stagnant water, and will not thrive in ill-drained beds. Indeed, some of the more tender sorts do not thrive well in districts which are wet, and where the soil is cold. What they thrive best in is a rich, light, well-drained soil, with a moderate amount of wet. Where the soil is sandy, dry, and poor, they never thrive well, nor increase much in size. In such situations they require rich manure and plenty of water. This is the reason why they thrive so luxuriantly in a moist warm stove, when they get plenty of water and light. Select List of Variegated, Gold, Bronze, and Tricolor Zonale Pelargoniums most suitable for Beds and Lines.— Nearly all those marked thus * are well-proved varieties, and suitable for small collections; those marked G. are golden-leaved, T. tricolors, and B. bronze zones. * Alma, scarlet flower; leaves deeply margined with white. Alma marginata, rosy scarlet; variegation of very pure white. B. Annie Williams, gold, with dark bronze zone. * Beaton's Variegated Nosegay, silver leaves; pink flowers. B.* Beauty of Oulton, clear yellow ground, bronzy crimson zone. Bijou, bright scarlet; leaves margined with pure white. B. * * Brilliant, deep scarlet; very free bloomer; slightly margined with white. * Brilliantissima, silver variegated. Bronze Shield, dark bronze zone. G.* Crystal Palace Gem, an improvement on Cloth-of-Gold. G.* Cloth-of-Gold, scarlet; rich golden yellow leaf. * Countess of Warwick, scarlet; white variegated leaf belted with bronze. Dandy, white variegation; very dwarf, and good for small beds. * Flower of Spring, flowers cerise; leaves deeply margined with white. Fontainebleau, pink flowers; silver-margined leaves. B. Gaiety, yellow, with bronze zone. G.* Golden Chain, rich gold leaf; an old and well-known variety. G. Golden Pheasant, fine gold-leaved bloom. G. Golden Tom Thumb, similar to Golden Chain, but stronger. Italia Unita, broad margin of white with a carmine zone; a beautiful variety, but of tender constitution. T. Lady Cullum, resembles Mrs. Pollock. Lady Plymouth, variegated white and green; sweet scented, and on some soils admirably adapted for edgings. T. Lucy Grieve, golden margin, crimson zone, bronze centre; very beautiful, but not so free as Mrs. Pollock. B.* Luna, yellow ground, broad bronze zone. * Mangles, an old and most useful variegated white-and-green sort. T. Meteor, fine tricolor. T. Mountain of Light, silvery-margined; compact grower. Mrs. Benyon, rich golden yellow leaf, with dark zone shaded red. T.* Mrs. Pollock, margined with yellow, bronze zone, belted with crimson; splendid free-going variety. T. Prince of Wales. * Queen of Queens, large scarlet flowers; silvery-edged leaf; extra fine. * Shottesham Pet, creamy variegated. Silver Chain, pink blooms; silvery-margined leaf. * Stella variegata, sport from Crimson Stella; crimson flowers; silvery-margined leaves. T. Sunset, similar to Mrs. Pollock, but not so free. The Queen, silver variegated, fine. B. Vandyke, dark bronze zone. Variegated Tom Thumb, scarlet flowers; leaves margined with white. Instructions for those who have neither Pit nor Greenhouse, and who wish to winter Pelargoniums in a Spare Room. Under all circumstances, and more especially when Pelargoniums have to be wintered in a spare room, the cuttings should be put in before the middle of August. Amateurs are very often in error in selecting far too small cuttings-the mere points of the shoots. As the successful preservation, under not very favourable circumstances, depends so much on the description of cutting selected, I want to impress those whom I am now addressing with the desirability of selecting large cuttings. They should be from 8 to 10 inches long, according to the respective sorts, instead of 3 to 4 inches, as is so frequently the case. Strong firm cuttings not only root more speedily, and with scarcely a failure, but they stand the trials of winter better and with far less attention, and in spring make finer plants with less nursing than small ones. To preserve them in rooms with the greatest possible success, I recommend 8-inch pots instead of wooden boxes. The pots should be well drained and filled up with a compost consisting of loam, leaf-mould, and sand, in equal proportions. This is the best soil; but when it cannot be had, common light garden soil and road-drift in equal proportions, with the addition of a little sand, answers very well, and is easily attained by most amateurs. The pots should be filled up firmly with this compost after it has been passed through a half-inch sieve. The cuttings should not be put in too thickly. Fif teen in an 8-inch pot are plenty, and in the case of the strongest sorts even twelve are enough. After the cuttings are made, and dibbled in as formerly directed, the best place to set them to root is the hottest place outdoors, where they can have as much sunshine as possible. If struck and nursed in the shade, they never thrive nor winter so well as do those hardy stubby plants that are struck in the full sun and air. They should be left outdoors as long as there is no danger of injury from frost or heavy rains; and in this case, if they can be sheltered from these, they are best left out till near the end of October. This will be better for them than placing them in a room, unless the trouble be taken to set them outdoors every fine day. By this treatment plants are produced that rustle as the hand is drawn over the leaves, and are therefore much more able to go through the hardships of winter than are cuttings struck later, or in some shady corner. The best place to winter them in is a room with a bow window having a south aspect, inasmuch as they get much more light than in an ordinary window; and if the window-shutters are white, all the better, as the light is thereby reflected on to the plants. After housing them for winter, they should have no more water than is sufficicnt to keep them from drooping, and that will not be a great deal unless in a room where a strong fire is kept. It is often, I might say, painful to see Pelargoniums which have been struck late and placed in a window, and supplied with a liberal supply of water, which they are unable to absorb because of the poverty of their roots. large percentage of deaths is the result. Of course, a Over-watering is one of the greatest evils when they are stored in a room where frost is merely excluded. By being kept comparatively dry, they multiply their active rootlets. much more, and acquire an amount of irritability which insures rapid progress and robust plants in spring. It is not possible to give definite instructions as to the quantity of water that should be applied. In a room with a constant fire, more will be called for than where there is no regular fire. Plants in rooms are generally placed in saucers to prevent the water from being spilt, and in the dead of winter it is a good plan to pour a little water into the saucers to rise by capillary attraction to the soil and roots. This prevents damp about the stems and leaves near the surface of the soil. In a cool room, where there is only a fire made in very damp or cold weather to dry the room and keep the plants safe from frost, very little water indeed is required. They should just be kept from drooping, but nothing more. In severe frost they can be lifted into the warmest corner of the room, and covered over with a cloth; but a little fire, with some extra protection at the window, is preferable to covering up. Pelargoniums in the hardy condition that I have described, will not suffer with the thermometer at the freezingpoint, if all about them is dry. Dust must be kept from collecting in the leaves and filling up the pores. This is best prevented by sponging the leaves with a moist sponge. Managed in this way, they give comparatively little trouble in spring, when, with the increase of light, heat, and water, they make fine strong plants, which, after being hardened off by being set outdoors every fine day after the middle of April, may be shaken out of their pots and planted out with |