288 On the Cultivation of 



object of growing the stock from cuttings is to perpetuate any 

 particularly fine double variety ; but if pains is taken in sowing 

 the seed, or if good is procured from any seedsman, a majority of 

 the plants will come double : we have knOwn instances where 

 five out of six of the ten-week stocks have been full double. 



The seed should be sown early in June, in partially shaded 

 situations — perhaps on a border facing the north, by no means 

 on a south one, as the sun would be too powerful — in drills 

 eight or ten inches apart. The soil should be made light, rich, 

 and fine, and the seeds covered about a quarter of an inch deep ; 

 they will soon make their appearance above the soil, and should 

 be thinned out so as to stand about four inches apart in the rows. 

 If dry weather ensues, give them gentle waterings, with soft 

 water, and they will grow rapidly : keep them clear of weeds. 

 About the latter end of the month, or early in July, preparation 

 should be made to take them up into number two pots. For this 

 purpose, have ready some good rich sandy loam; take up the plants 

 carefully, and, when all are potted that are wanted, give a good 

 watering, and set them in a shady place for a week or two ; 

 afterwards remove to a sunnier aspect, where they may stand 

 until August, when they must be shifted into number threes. 

 Give them plenty of water, and, upon the approach of frost, they 

 may be taken into the green-house, or wintered in frames. 



In the month of February, as many as are wanted to flower in 

 pots should be repotted into number fours, in a similar compost 

 to the above named ; the remainder can be kept in the same 

 pots until May, and then turned into the flower border, where 

 they will make a fine display in June and July. The plants 

 should be kept liberally supplied with water, daring the spring 

 growth, and they will throw up strong spikes of blossoms. The 

 seed may be sown in July and early in August, but the plants 

 will not be near so strong, although they will show tolerably 

 fine flowers. The pots can be plunged in the ground after their 

 best bloom is over, and, if the plants are headed down and re- 

 potted into a larger size before they are taken into their winter 

 habitation, they will produce abundant spikes of fine flowers the 

 ensuing spring. 



The Ten-ioeek Stock [Mnihidla annua). — The ten-week 

 stock does not require so much care to bloom it to perfection as 

 the Brompton. It is easily grown as an annual plant, and masses 

 of it planted out in the border have an elegant appearance, and 

 fill the air with its dehcious fragrance : indeed, it is one of those 

 valuable annuals without which, the mignonnette, and some one 

 or two others, our gardens would be destitute of fragrant blos- 

 soms throughout the summer. There are now an immense 

 number of varieties, including what are called the new Russian, 

 or close flowering, and the new German stocks ; of each of 



