J 28 ON THE CULTURE OF BROMPTON STOCKS. 



superintended the publication of the gospel in forty oriental languages, 

 which he had the perseverance to acquire for that purpose. Born in 

 the humblest circumstances, often uncertain of his daily bread, at first 

 a journeyman shoemaker, then a village schoolmaster, he had, before 

 his departure from England, taught himself to read the Bible in Greek, 

 Latin, Hebrew, French, Italian, and Dutch, and had become con- 

 spicuous by his eloquent preaching and his ardent desire to bring 

 about the mission to India, which originated in his powerful mind. 

 When he arrived there, he found it necessary to offer his services, by 

 a hand-bill, to make or repair shoes; and, after he had risen to the 

 head of a flourishing establishment, and occupied the chair of three 

 professorships, he was not ashamed to nail up the original hand-bill 

 against the wall of his study, but took pleasure in considering from 

 what an humble grade he had been lifted up to a more useful and 

 distinguished station by the grace of God and his own virtuous per- 



ARTICLE III. 



ON THE CULTURE OF BROMPTON STOCKS. 



BY A FLOniST. 



The entire race of Stocks are plants I much admire, and there is 

 not a kind, I believe, of these which thrive in the open air of this 

 country but I possess. I am more especially partial to the Brompton 

 Stocks, and they very deservedly stand in high repute, producing by 

 proper management spikes of flowers two feet long, and each sepa- 

 rate blossom two inches in diameter. In addition to their splendour 

 and fragrance they bloom during all the summer season, and are 

 among the finest ornaments of the flower garden, their various colours 

 grown in contrast producing a fine effect. 



This season I have blooming plants of the following kinds : — 

 1. The best way of propagation is by seeds, and unless some little 

 attention be paid to the selection of the seed double flowers will very 

 rarely be produced. Always collect the seeds from such plants as 

 have semi-double flowers, or which grow in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood or are surrounded by double ones ; for although double ones 

 have no power to produce seed themselves, and it has been disputed 

 whether they can impregnate others, yet it has been always found 

 that plants raised from seed gathered in such situations have amongst 



