The Culture of Flowers from Seeds 



space of three or four feet to afford easy access for staking and 

 watering. By Midsummer offshoots will begin to push through the 

 soil. The removal of these will throw all the strength of the plant 

 into one stem. To insure its safety a strong stake will be required, 

 which should be firmly driven into the ground, and rise six or seven 

 feet above it. In case of an accident at any time to the central stem 

 the hope of flowers for that year is gone, and it is therefore worth 

 some pains to prevent a mishap. The tying must be done with 

 judgment, and as the plants increase in size an occasional inspection 

 will save the stems from being cut. Several inches of half-decayed 

 cow-manure placed round the stems, with a saucer-like hollow in the 

 centre to retain water, will be helpful to the roots, and if the flowers 

 are intended for exhibition, the treatment can scarcely be too 

 generous. 



It is easy to grow and flower Hollyhocks without the aid of 

 artificial heat. On a south border in June prepare drills about two 

 inches deep and a foot apart. Place an inch of rich sifted soil in 

 each drill, and upon this sow the seed very thinly, covering it about 

 a quarter of an inch. If the weather be dry, give a gentle soaking 

 of water, and finish with a dusting of soot to prevent vermin from 

 eating off the seedlings. Thin the plants to six inches apart, and they 

 may remain in the seed-rows until the end of September. Whether 

 they are then transplanted straight to blooming quarters, or put into 

 a cold frame for the winter, depends on soil and climate. In the 

 southern counties, and on light land, it will generally be safe to 

 winter Hollyhocks in the open, with merely a shelter of dry fern or 

 litter. But in heavy loam or clay the risk is too great, and the cold 

 frame must be resorted to. In this they will be secure, and can be 

 ventilated as weather permits. As the season advances give more 

 air, until they are planted out in May. 



IMPATIENS SULTANI 



Sultan's Balsam. Tender perennial 



EARLY sowing should be avoided for two reasons. The seed germi- 

 nates but slowly in dull weather, and the seedlings when raised are 

 almost certain to damp off. We do not advise a start before March, 

 and not until April unless a steady heat of 60 or 65 can be maintained. 

 Sow in well-drained pots, filled with soil composed of two parts of 



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