84 



BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS 





simple and inexpensive remedy had been found for it, the old 

 Hollyhock would probably never have regained its place. A fallen 

 flower rarely rises again note the Auricula, the laced Pink, the 

 Verbena. A limited number of people remain faithful to it, but their 

 numbers gradually dwindle. Other flowers rise to take its place. 



If, however, the Hollyhock is not the great favourite that it was 

 once upon a time, before the Puccinia came down upon it, it is still 

 grown with moderate success in many gardens. People do not pay 

 high prices for special varieties as they used to do ; they dare not 



take the risk of it. But they still like 

 Hollyhocks well enough to try their luck 

 with them from seed, the cost of which 

 is small, and entails no serious loss if 

 the plants die away. There is a general 

 opinion, indeed (an opinion not alto- 

 gether groundless) that seedling plants 

 are less severely attacked than special 

 varieties struck from cuttings. Holly- 

 hocks can be raised from seed just as 

 easily as Canterbury Bells, and may be 

 treated in the same way, being sown out 

 of doors in late spring, transplanted, and 



flowered the following year. It is possible to bloom them the 

 first year, but this necessitates sowing the seed under glass in 

 February and pushing them on in pots. There was, perhaps, too 

 much ''pushing on" of Hollyhocks in years gone by. When new 

 varieties were valuable they were propagated rapidly in heat by 

 means of grafting, and it is possible that the constitution of the 

 plant was thereby impaired. Be that as it may, we cannot err by 

 giving Hollyhocks natural treatment now. 



The finest plants are secured by planting in deep, heavily- 

 manured soil, but the prudent grower may well sacrifice some 

 degree of luxuriance in order to get harder, healthier growth ; and to 



PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS 



A, cuttings in a pot ; B, pots of cuttings 

 in a frame. 



