294 ox THE TREE MALLOW. 



winter and spring frosts. Hence it will generally be found pre- 

 ferable to sow the seeds between the middle of ]\Iarch and the 

 end of April, as if much longer delayed many of the plants will 

 not flower the next year, but assume a triennial in place of a 

 biennial duration. The seeds being sown either in drills or 

 broad-cast, the young plants, when about 6 to 10 inches high, 

 should be transplanted to where they are to remain, or in case of 

 the ground being then filled with an early crop, such as early 

 potatoes or pease, they may be temporarily transplanted at 4 to 

 6 inches apart till such crop is removed and the ground prepared 

 for them ; when they should be planted out either by the 

 dibber or plough at from 18 inches to 4 feet apart; till more 

 experience shows the distances that are most suitable for 

 them in different soils and situations. "When to be o^rown on the 

 most exposed sea-coasts, either as an exclusive crop or for 

 sheltering young plantations, they should be planted out when 

 about 4 inches high, or the seeds sown in the places where they 

 are to grow. ISTo plants — those of kale and cabbage not even 

 excepted — stand transplanting better than those of the tree 

 mallow ; but when its seeds become sufficientlv abundant, it 

 may in some cases be found best to sow them by machines, and 

 afterwards thin out the young plants as is done with turnips. 

 Intending cultivators should guard against getting their seeds off 

 inferior varieties, such as that of the Bass Eock, which is dwarfer, 

 as well as more horizontally spreading and more branching than 

 the one here recommended. They should also avoid getting 

 seeds from Southern Europe or other warmer climates than those 

 of its British habitats. This last precaution may be deemed as 

 of only temporary application, seeing that from the number of 

 experimental growers, and the quantity of plants they have 

 already planted out, or that will be so sufficiently early next 

 summer, an abundance of home seed for sowing, as well as for 

 practically testing its cattle-feeding qualities, will be produced in 

 the autumn of 1878. And as with other cultivated plants the 

 tree mallow can doubtlessly be improved by selection, careful 

 cultivators will do well to select their " stock seeds " always from 

 the best plants. 



The thrashing or separating of the seeds from the stalks or 

 haum, may either be done by rippling combs, as with the flax ; 

 by flails, or by machinery. It is probable that it may be found 

 advisable to cut off or separate the seed-bearing twigs from the 

 thicker branches and stems, as doing so would likely facilitate 

 the after operations of stacking or storing, thrashing, and peeling. 



Peeling or stinj^fjnng of the hark is easily done at all times 

 during the growth of the plants, and only a little less so when 

 the seeds are sufficiently matured for pulling or cutting the crop ; 

 ^\•hile even after the stalks are dried by stacking, or standing 



