HOLLYHOCK. 137 



those fond of good flowers. This plant will grow some- 

 times eight feet high ; the stem is upright and hairy, the 

 leaves cordate, fine, seven angled, crenate, rugose. The 

 flowers axillary, sessile. The natural color is red, but 

 there are now over twenty colors enumerated in this varie- 

 ty, and this change has been effected by the industrious 

 bee, going from flower to flower, elucidating the following 

 lines : 



" From the nectaries of hollyhock, 

 The humble bee, e'en till he faints, will sip ;" 



Then crossing and recrossing until this flower may be 

 considered at the ne plus ultra of perfection. These flow- 

 ers, when placed in a stand, like Dahlias exhibited for 

 show, have a beautiful appearance, equal to any flower 

 cultivated. 



The seed should be gathered on a fine day and preserved 

 until spring, and then planted in any garden soil. In no 

 case should a single flowering plant be allowed to grow 

 in a collection if you pride yourself upon a good one. 

 When the young plants are of sufficient size, transplant 

 them into the borders, around the garden, in cloudy 

 weather. From the nature of their growing tall, their 

 appearance will be the most conspicuous, and not inter- 

 fere with plants of more humble growth ; the soil should 

 not be rich, or your plants will spindle up too much. The 

 second season you will be enabled to judge the merit of 

 the flower, and if not well formed and double, pull the 

 plant up and try again another season ; by this mode you 

 may get a choice collection, and when your object is at- 

 tained, and you wish to keep tht?m, you must divide and re- 

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