Hardy and Half-hardy Plants 



119 



to the open field or nursery quarters. In large degree the plants may be 

 grown under fruit trees or at field margins, where land is less generally well 

 tilled. On chalk soils the plant is quite at home. It is a mistake to allow 

 the seedlings too long in the seedbed. The Wallflower, being a taprooting 

 subject, if left too long, is robbed of its root fibres, and makes but little 

 subsequent progress. 



VARIETIES. Wallflowers may be had in dwarf or tall varieties, though 

 Harbinger, Fire King, Belvoir Castle, and Eastern Queen are among the 

 best. Planted at 1 ft. apart or rather less, an acre would contain nearly 

 50,000 plants, which, at 2s. per 100, or, say, 16s. per 1000, would yield 

 roughly about 40. Allowing of this amount 10 for culture, a good 

 margin still remains for rent, rates, &c., and profit. In any case it is a 

 crop to grow, owing to its great popularity with all classes. [E. H. J.] 



Gillies, or Wallflowers, are a standard and reliable catch crop or 

 undercrop in the Evesham district, and a large quantity are grown. 

 They are valuable aids to keeping the balance on the right side of the 

 ledger, and the cost of production is very small. Sometimes the seed is 

 sown where the plants are to flower, and they are thinned accordingly. 

 Others are planted out from the seed bed; but in all cases the bulk of 

 them are grown under the Plum trees. As early flowers are most valu- 

 able the seed must be sown early, February being the usual time. 

 Usually Wallflowers come into flower in about twelve months from the 

 sowing of the seed; that is, they commence to flower in that period. 

 Therefore those who wish to have them in flower in April should sow 

 the seed in April; 

 those who wish to 

 have Wallflowers in 

 February and March 

 must sow much 

 earlier, then they 

 will not be dis- 

 appointed in ordin- 

 ary seasons. 



[j. u.] 



Water Lily 

 (NYMPH^A). Of all 

 water plants there 

 are none so popular 

 as the hardy Nym- 

 phceas and the many 

 glorious hybrids that 

 have been raised of 

 late years, and of 



which detailed descriptions will be found in The Bulb Book. The trade 

 is confined to the rootstocks in spring, and besides the pure white-flowered 

 common Water Lily (N. alba, fig. 254) there are varieties now with rose, 



Fig. 254. Water Lily (Nymphoea alba) 



