62 ON RAISING DOUBLE STOCKS. 



dung and horse- dropping, mixed in equal proportions ; then a layer 

 of the turf and another of the dung, and so on until full, observing to 

 press the compost gently down in the course of filling, leaving it 

 round and full to allow for sinking. I then took the plants, turning 

 them carefully out of their pots with the balls entire, planting one in 

 the centre of each, observing not to plant deep, the higher the better, 

 as the soil subsides, and fresh earth could be added at any time if 

 required. By giving plenty of water, my plants, treated in this way, 

 grew to a large size, blooming profusely, and throughout the season 

 maintained a fine healthy foliage. I can assure any of the numerous 

 readers of the Cabinet who may make a trial of this method of 

 growing large specimens of the above description of plants, they will 

 not be disappointed, and at the same time will save a great deal of 

 useless labour. 



And I may also observe, that I highly disapprove of the very 

 common method of potting and repotting plants of the above sort 

 four or five different times before blooming ; it only gives the roots 

 an unnatural tendency, and greatly checks their free growth. 



ARTICLE VI. 



ON RAISING DOUBLE STOCKS. 



BY A SOUTH BRITON, IN HAMPSHIRE. 



Not having heard, or seen elsewhere, the following plan of raising 

 double stocks, I presume to forward the particulars thereof for in- 

 sertion in the Cabinet, assured the readers who attend to the method 

 will find it an excellent one. By practising it I have succeeded in 

 obtaining so many double ones as scarcely to raise a sufficiency of 

 single ones for seed. 



In the autumn of 1839 I thought I would try an experiment on the 

 German stock, for which purpose I took out the centre spike of seed 

 and saved it by itself; the others I also saved separately. When the 

 plants raised from the seeds bloomed, I found that those saved from 

 the centre shoots were nearly all double, while the others were nearly 

 all single. I have tried several other plans, but never succeeded so 

 well with any as with this. Perhaps to some of your readers it is not 

 new, but to others I trust it may not be altogether useless. 



