250 FRITZ BAHR'S COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE 



floral pillow or the wreath in those days was covered solid with the 

 flowers before anything else went on it. We no longer call this 

 artistic, nor have we the time to give to such work; yet Hollyhocks 

 are greater favorites among herbaceous plants than ever. 



The florist has call during both Spring and Fall for field grown 

 plants, or such as have been grown on in pots; he should use them 

 whenever planting a hardy border, or when asked to furnish an 

 assortment of hardy stock. With their colors of white, yellow, red, 

 and beautiful shades of pink they can be used in almost any color 

 arrangement, and but very few people object to them in their gardens. 

 Those who don't like them double can have handsome single sorts. 



To grow a strong, healthy Hollyhock, sow in the open about 

 July fifteenth. Don't make use of a heavily manured, finely sifted 

 soil and a shaded frame; maybe you have seen them grown by the 

 roadside or near the fence on a farm, without the least sign of rust 

 or other disease, while plants grown with the greatest care elsewhere 

 have proved a failure. Transplant the seedlings later on and 

 keep them cultivated; that is more important than keeping them 

 soaked with the hose. By the end of September you will have 

 heavy stock ready to sell, or to plant where it is to flower the next 

 Summer. If you cut most of the leaves off when transplanting, 

 the plants soon become reestablished and make a few large leaves 

 by the time they are cut down by frost. In the case of the man 

 who retails a few hundred plants each Spring it is as well to take 

 up every other one, letting the rest remain to flower. 



Usually, it is best to cover the plants lightly over Winter, 

 although plants need but little protection when well established. 

 Always carry a few over in frames; they might be sold in the Spring 

 if not needed to replace winterkilled specimens. Or they can be 

 planted out to flower. However, the best plants will be those that 

 were transplanted about August, and given a foot or so of space 

 at that time. You can also sow seed about September and pot the 

 seedlings up ; keep them in a cool house and shift so as to have heavy 

 plants in 4s by April ready for planting out. But you won't get the 

 same results as from those sown in July. 



Hollyhocks can hardly be considered good cut flowers, yet there 

 are sometimes occasions that call for the cut stalks. In that case a 

 good way is to cut them a day or so before they are wanted, and 

 place them deep in water in a dark, cool place. Freshly cut and ex- 

 posed in a hot room they won't last three hours. 



ALYSSUM 



The double Sweet Alyssum is a very useful little plant for the 

 retail grower. A few plants along the edge of the Carnation bench 

 will not interfere in the least with the Carnations, but will furnish 

 you with flowers from Fall until Spring, just what you want when 



