58 Culture of Stock and GiUiJiower. 



their rich and brilhant blossoms, till the late frosts of autumn checked 

 and retarded their growth. The soil we found best suited for thein, 

 was composed of equal parts of loam and bog earth, or leaf mould, to 

 which was added river or pit sand in the proportion of one fourth. 

 The pots should be well drained with pieces of old broken pots or 

 brick-bats so as to admit of tlieir being more easily repotted. 



Art. VIII. A few Kemarhs on the best Method of obtaining double 

 Floiocrs of the Stock and Gillifower. By J. W. Russell. 



Perhaps there are but very few plants more universally admired 

 than the Stock, and Gilliflower; as an annual plant, there is 

 scarcely any that is more worthy of a situation in the flower-garden 

 than the Ten-week Stock. I suppose there are but very few persons, 

 who have not noticed in gardens generally, a plant with double 

 flowers set between two single flowering ones. If the observer should 

 have had curiosity enough to inquire the reason why the double 

 flowering plant was thus set between the single ones, it is very prob- 

 able that the answer would be, this is the system I take to procure 

 good seed ; what is meant by good seed is, seed that will produce 

 plants with double flowers. This idea is an old one, and of course 

 will have prejudice in its favor, which is very difficult to eradicate. 

 I know of no other way to convince those who have any faith in this 

 process, than to show them plainly that there is no foundation for it 

 whatsoever. If any person will take the trouble to examine a flower 

 of the double stock, they will I think be perfectly satisfied, and 

 come to the conclusion, that there is not any part of fructification to 

 be found, in a flower of the double stock, that could be of any use in 

 the fecundating of the single flower. The fact is, the single flowering 

 ■plant is perfect of itself, and needs not tlie aid of any other plant to 

 produce good seeds. A plant of the single white and red may be 

 planted near together, and by so doing, the pollen of each plant will 

 very probably get mixed, and the cultivator may reasonably expect 

 to have an intermediate variety ; then, by planting the intermediate 

 variety with the white, or red, &;c., an endless variety could be ob- 

 tained. By following this process five or six years, every interme- 

 diate color between black and white could be procured. Those who 

 wish to get those varieties of color in the Stock, must not expect to 

 succeed without paying great attention to the colors of the flowers 

 that are intended to be mixed; for the greater the contrast in the 

 color of the flowers intended to produce seed, the greater is the hope 

 of success. 



I should recommend to those who wish to procure good seed, to 

 thin out the flower stems when the plants are in flower, not less 



