STAKES AND SUPPORTS. 



486 



STOCKS MATHIOLA. 



portions sawn to the requisite lengths being 

 disposed over the surface in regular 

 arrangement, so as to form patterns of 

 different kinds. The poles can be further 

 Utilised as supports for patches of Convol- 

 v'ulus major ti& other climbers of a kindred 

 nature, ^o'r supporting young trees when 

 newly planted, stakes nearly as thick as 

 the wrist at the bottom, and about 7 feet 

 long, are required. The thick end of these, 

 when sharpened, should be thrust into the 

 grourid, into a hole made with a crowbar 

 for the purpose, in a slanting direction, so 

 that the Upper part may be brought close 

 to the young standard that it is desired to 

 stake, the object being to prevent the roots 

 of the tree being too much shaken by the 

 action of the wind on the head of the tree : 

 the steadier a yoUrtg and newly planted 

 tree is kept, the more readily will it take 

 hold of the soil by its rdbts. These thicker 

 rloles are sold at frohi Is. to 2s. per dozen, 

 according to size. See also Espalier 

 Stakes. 



Stakes and Supports, Patent 

 Improved. 



An ingenious and useful appliance for 

 sustaining plants and blooms has been 



WIRE SUPPORTS FOR PLANTS. 



introduced by Messrs. Williams Brothers, 

 Pershore Street and River Street, Birming- 



ham, in Williams' Patent Improved Flower 

 and Plant Supports, which do away with 

 the necessity of securing the plant to the 

 stick by bast or raffia. They can be quickly 

 adjusted or removed, and are made of the 

 best tinned wire. As rttay be seen frorti 

 the accompanying illustration, the support 

 consists of two parts firstly, a wire with 

 bent head that is stuck in the earth or pot, 

 and secondly, a wire with two loops in it 

 through which the ground stake is passed 

 before it is thrust into the ground, and a 

 coil at the top into which the stem of a 

 plant or the flower stalk is introduced. 

 The prices per gross of these supports, 

 which are done up ih 3-dozen bundles, are 

 9-inch, 95. ; 1 2-inch, I2s. 6d. ; 1 5-inch, 

 ids. ; i8-inch, IDS. 6d. ; 21 -inch, us. 6d. ; 

 24-irtch, I2s. 



Standard Form for Fruit- 

 Trees. 



This form is best adapted for orchards 

 and for fruit-trees in isolated positions, 

 hedges, &c., in which fruit-trees ought to 

 be found far more frequently than they 

 are, and doubtless would be if the eighth 

 commandment were more generally re- 

 spected, and the law of trespass more 

 rigidly enforced. The standard form of 

 growth, which is the most natural form, is 

 too well known to need further explana- 

 tion, and the process of pruning necessary 

 to control and induce this growth in its 

 best form has been explained in Pruning, 

 Process of, which see. 



Stocks Mathi'ola (nat. ord. cmcif - 

 era). 



The plants known as Stocks are mostly 

 half-hardy biennials, but some are annuals. 

 They are propagated by seed, and all thrive 

 best in a rich and not too dry soil. 



The Stock Gilliflower is one of the most 

 popular and important of our garden 

 favourites ; its delicious fragrance, brilliant 

 and diversified colours, profusion and dur?.- 



