62 ON THE HOLLYHOCK. 
allow the soil to be quite dry or buds will drop off. Keep the soil just. 
moist, not at the surface merely, but through the entire ball; do not,. 
however, keep it soddened. In rooms the leaves and stems are liable 
to get dusted over, let them be cleaned twice a week with a sponge. 
and water, or hold the plant sideways, whilst a good washing is given 
by means of a water-can with its rose on. When it is mild out of 
doors a little air admitted at the window will be beneficial. With the 
above attention they will be found to succeed well. | 
ON THE HOLLYHOCK. 
Tue cultivation of this magnificent Eastern plant is of great antiquity 
in this country. Its noble size, majestic height, and splendid flowers, 
could not fail to attract the attention of our earliest collectors of floral 
plants. Itis not recorded when it was first introduced into this country, 
but was grown in the gardens as early as 1564, and mentioned by Dr. 
Turner. 
The derivation of the English name is traced to the Saxon language, 
the old name of Holyoak being the same as the Saxon Holihee. In 
floral language it is figured as the symbol of fecundity, and its extreme 
fruitfulness seems to justify the device. The Hollyhock is very common 
in China, and the: yellow in some parts of Africa, in the Marootzee 
country. Linnzeus describes it as a native of Siberia. We have but few 
flowers that contribute more to the embellishment of large gardens 
than the Hollyhock; it is not suited to a small parterre, its aspiring 
height befits it for a nobler situation where to display its grandeur and 
beauty of appearance. ‘The noble stalks are like so many floral banners 
garnished with magnificent Roses of variety of colours, embracing every 
shade of the Rose from the palest blush to the richest crimson, and 
from a pure white; the yellows are equally numerous, until they reach 
the richest orange, from which the colour is carried to a dark chestnut. 
Others are dyed from a reddish purple toa rich deep, and running up 
toa black. We gave a descriptive list of our finest varieties in the 
last November number of this Magazine. So much do we admire this 
fine flower that we have cultivated many thousand plants annually. 
To give full effect to the Hollyhock they should be planted in clumps 
of one colour, and arranged so as to have the colours nearest together, 
and be so different as to produce the greatest contrast, as light colours 
next the darks, &e. We have so arranged them in clumps (at irregular 
distances) of from ten to twenty plants in each, backed by shrubs, and | 
the large masses of finely contrasted colours produced a most splendid 
effect. 
It delights in a deep well-enriched loamy soil upon a dry substratum. 
It is readily increased by division in autumn and cuttings in spring. 
New improved varieties are, of course, obtained from seed, sowing it 
in April, and planting them out for proving their character in September 
or October. They now rank as show flowers at the exhibitions. We 
have seen them presented by a single flower of each sort, but the most 
proper method is by short spikes, half a yard to two feet long. To 
have such in a proper state of bloom the top of a branch should be cut 
