28 THE GARDENER. [Jan. 



tion of potting is performed, they will require to be plunged in sand 

 or other material up to the rim of the pot, with a shallow covering of 

 sand laid over the surface of the pots as well. I should have added, 

 with reference to potting, that the soil should be in a thoroughly 

 healthy state, but rather on the moist side ; the object of plunging 

 and covering' the surface of the soil in the pots being to prevent 

 any loss of moisture by evaporation, and thus avoid the necessity of 

 giving water before actual growth commences. As before remarked, 

 the bulbs are slow to start into growth without the assistance of a little 

 bottom-heat ; and where such is the case a few of the bulbs may be 

 pushed along about the beginning of May, merely giving them a start 

 and hardening them off to stand in cold pits or frames during the 

 warmest part of the summer. By dividing the stock into two or 

 three lots, and by advancing or retarding their condition as appear- 

 ance and circumstances may suggest, a few of those choice flowers 

 may be attained till far on in the winter ; but they are much more 

 difficult to manage after September than at any time previous, on 

 account of their dislike to a cold or damp climate. Even at a tem- 

 perature at 50° they are subject to damp off at the base of the flower- 

 stem if they are not prudently attended to with water; and the flowers 

 also decay if the atmospheric conditions are not regulated and kept 

 on the dry side before the house is closed up for the day. To sum up 

 briefly, a temperature of 60°, and a dry atmosphere with a sparing 

 supply of water at the root, are necessary conditions to insure a supply 

 of flowers in November and December months. Cultivator. 



NOTES ON THE CULTURE OF THE HOLLYHOCK. 



This stately autumn flower has within these last few years been gradu- 

 ally disappearing from gardens. Some six or seven years ago the 

 plants of southern growers were affected with a disease which in a 

 short time entirely destroyed every cultivated variety. This proved to 

 be a fungus, commonly found on the wayside Mallow, though not affect- 

 ing that plant to an injurious extent. Various remedies were tried to 

 destroy the fungus, but up to the present time no remedy has been 

 discovered capable of either preventing or curing the disease. Grad- 

 ually creeping northwards, it is doubtful if, at the present moment, 

 there is a collection in the country "clean." Late in the season of 

 1876 a nurseryman florist was discussing with me the points of what 

 was then a pretty good selection of varieties ; and when looking over 

 some newish kinds, some of the dreaded fungoid spots were discovered. 

 In the course of a few weeks the entire collection was blackened and 

 gone. A few plants in the flower-garden escaped to some extent : 



