160 THE ANEMONE HORTENSTS. 



popularity of this noble plant is fully justified, not only by its intrinsic beauty, but by the ease -with 

 which it may be grown in almost any situation. "We have no fear that it will ever supersede the 

 Dahlia, nor is it desirable that it should do so ; but it will, undoubtedly, become a formidable rival, 

 and we can even imagine that its easy management and extreme hardiness will, by some amateurs, 

 be considered more than sufficient to compensate for the shortness of its blooming season, compared 

 with that of the Dahlia. 



Its treatment is so well known, that we need only remind our readers that the present 

 season is the best for transplanting such varieties at they may desire to add to their collection. 

 Like most other tap-rooted plants, they dislike removal, and this should always be effected in 

 autumn, when possible, the blossoms being in general much finer than when the operation is 

 deferred till spring. The soil the Hollyhock most effects is a friable loam, well enriched with 

 rotten manure, which should be liberally applied to the soil before planting ; it will, however, 

 succeed in almost any soil but the poorest, though in very sandy soils an abundance of 

 moisture must be supplied. Almost every Florist has tried his hand on this plant with more or 

 less success, so that the varieties offered for sale are very numerous. For the guidance of our 

 readers we append a list of a few of the most desirable varieties, which does not, however, 

 include those exhibited for the first time the present season. Among crimsons, there are Bessy 

 Bell, Crimson Perfection (Paul), General Bern (Veitch), Meteor (Bircham), Sir David Wedder- 

 burn (Currie), and "Walden Gem (Chater). Of yellow Hollyhocks, the best are Ophir, Safrano, 

 and Triumphant (Parsons), Sulphurea perfecta (Rivers), and Yellow Model (Bircham). Of 

 deep rose tints, there are, Charles Turner, Enchantress (Chater), and Rembrandt (Parsons). Of 

 lighter shades of rose, Joan of Arc, Mrs. Foster, Rosea grandiflora, Lady Braybrooke, Queen 

 of Scots, and Spectabilis, are fine examples. Pourpre de Tyre, "William, Mulberry superb and 

 Purpurea, are good purples. Among the mottled varieties, Mrs. Gould, mottled crimson, 

 Napoleon, white and purple, a very novel variety, and Defiance, mottled purple, may be 

 named. Cream of the Valley is a fine variety, with flowers of a delicate cream tint. Bella Donna 

 is a good white, and so is Chater's Snowball superb. Susannah, creamy white, and Lady Harland, 

 pure white, may be added with advantage to any collection. With one or two exceptions, none of 

 the above are expensive ; this noble flower is, however, so easily raised, that there is no reason 

 why every amateur should not be his own Hollyhock grower. 



THE ANEMONE HOETENSIS. 

 Although the flowers of this pretty spring bloomer are considerably smaller than those of the 

 A. coronaria, so much improvement has been effected in the brilliancy and variety of its tints, 

 that it bids fair to become ultimately a rival of that splendid flower. "Whether this is the result 

 of hybridization with other species, or whether they are but seminal varieties, we are unaware ; 

 but in any case, they deserve to be especially mentioned at this season as most desirable early 

 flowers. The true A. hortensis is, as our readers know, of a reddish-purple colour; but the 

 varieties now procurable include almost every shade of blue, purple, violet, rose, scarlet, and 

 crimson; most of the tints, in short, which occur among the varieties of coronaria, are now 

 to be found in the present species. They are, however, less double than those of coronaria, though 

 we have no doubt that this difference will speedily disappear. 



Their treatment is precisely that of the other species; they are best planted in autumn, not 

 later than the end of October, in rich light loamy soil, either in clumps or beds, though for a 

 succession a few roots may be kept out of the ground till February or March. The autumn-planted 

 roots will bloom in April, the others in May. About fifty named varieties of distinct shades of 

 colour may be had of most of the London Seedsmen, and they are by no means expensive. 



