MATTHIOLA. 515 



The branches are slender and the flowers smaller than those of the 

 other kinds. They yield 60 per cent of double flowers, and are 

 obtainable in 25 different colours. 



" Intermediate " Stocks are considered the most beautiful of all 

 the Stocks, uniting, as they do, all the good qualities of the others. 

 They bloom early and abundantly, keep a long time in flower, and 

 bloom for two years in succession ; the flowers are large and their 

 colours very brilliant. They grow easily from seed, and yield 

 double kinds in the proportion of 70 or 80 per cent. 



" Ten-week " Stocks. This Greek variety, as above mentioned, 

 has shining green foliage. They sh.)uld be treated the same as the 

 Cocardeau Stock. They flow^er abundantly, and are of various 

 colours. One of them is yellow, and is the only instance of this 

 colour occurring among Stocks. Singularly enough, the single 

 flowers, the seeds from which produce the yellow double variety, 

 are always white ; but if the seedling plants of this variety be not 

 grown apart from other varieties whicli are white, they are apt to 

 go back to their primitive colour, which is white. There are also 

 crimson, pink, violet and buff varieties, but they yield but few 

 double kinds. A new variety with white flowers, called the 

 " White Greek Cocardeau," has been introduced. This belongs to 

 the sort called " Perpetual Emperors," and bears long spikes 

 densely crowded with white blossom, tlie base being surrounded 

 by a ring of small flowers. It closely resembles the " Giant 

 Cocardeau," and holds one of the highest places amongst this 

 beautiful tribe. It yields ab3ut the same proportion of double 

 sorts as the first three varieties. The Greek Stocks are a little 

 more tender than the other sorts. 



Perpetual Autunni and AVinter Ten-week Stocks. These were 

 first obtained by the Erfurt seedsmen by crossing the Pyramidal 

 variety with the Perpetual Emperor. Sown in heat in February, 

 and pricked out into a frame, they produce large masses of bloom 

 from October to January. Flowering as it does so late in the 

 season, this variety is very useful. It includes eight different 

 kinds, which yield from 50 to 70 per cent, of double forms, 

 according to the method in which it is grown. It is most 

 important to keep the secondary shoots well pinched down, as 

 this variety has a tendency to return to the primitive type. The 



