194 GARDEN FLOWERS. 



is required. Soil, deep rich loam. Increased abundantly 

 by seeds. H. giganteum and Persicum are some of the best 

 for these purposes. 



HESPERIS. Rocket. [Cruciferas.] A genus of hardy 

 plants, annual, biennial, and perennial. Some of the vari- 

 eties of the common Rocket ( H. matronalis ), especially the 

 double white and double purple, are very great favorites in 

 the flower-gardens. They are rather difficult to manage, es- 

 pecially in old gardens or in confined situations ; for they 

 love fresh soil and an open situation. A light rich loam is 

 the best for them ; but if an artificial compost has to be 

 made up, as it should be if they are required in perfection, 

 a third part of sandy peat mixed with two-thirds of mellow 

 loam will grow them very well. Next to soil, the great se- 

 cret of success is, not to let them stand too long in a place, 

 for under such circumstances they are sure to dwindle. They 

 ought to be taken up and divided every second year, soon 

 after they have done flowering, that is, early in autumn, 

 and replanted in fresh soil. To have a display of healthy 

 plants every year, they should be divided into two sets : 

 those plants respectively which have bloomed in their sec- 

 ond year, if taken up in each successive autumn and di- 

 vided, will furnish a constant supply of young plants, the 

 flowering of which should be prevented in the following 

 summer, and they will then bloom vigorously in the second 

 year from their transplantation. One reason why this con- 

 stant transplantation is necessary is, that the plant, in its 

 original state, is naturally a biennial, perishing after it has 

 produced flowers. The other species, most of which are 

 also biennials, are unimportant compared with the varieties 

 above alluded to. 



H. grandiftora (large-flowered) ; hardy biennial ; 3 feet ; flow- 

 .ers white and purple, in July ; native country not known; 1820. 



