AN HOUR WITH THE HOLLYHOCK. 297 



the Hollyhock was much prized and generally cultivated ; 

 for Gerard, writing at that time, states that it was then 

 sown in gardens almost everywhere. In Gerard's Herbal 

 (edition 1636) are three plates of Hollyhocks "the Single 

 Garden Hollihocks," which we assume to be the type of 

 the garden varieties of our day; "the Jagged Strange 

 Hollihock," whence apparently have descended Sulphurea 

 palmata and others of that strain ; and " the Double 

 Purple Hollihock." The writer also speaks of another, 

 " which bringeth forth a great stalke, of the height of ten 

 or twelve feet, growing to the form of a small tree. The 

 flowers are very great and double, as the greatest Rose 

 or Double Peiony, of a deepe red color, tending to 

 blackness."* 



In Miller's <f Gardeners and Florists' Dictionary" (Lon- 

 don, 1724) we find the Hollyhock described as "a plant of 

 considerable variety, bearing red, white, purple, black, and 

 other coloured flowers. They neither want beauty nor 

 stature, seldom bearing their flower-stems less than six 

 foot from the ground, and are commonly garnished with 

 their rose-like blossoms above half their height." ..." Mr 

 Bradley directs to plant them out into a rich ground, 

 in either September or March, and then they will begin to 

 flower in July or August ; and that in order to make their 

 flowers large they should be frequently watered in the 

 summer time ; though they die to the ground every 

 winter, they spring again, and will stand 'several years ; 

 and for their largeness and lastingness may very well be 

 planted among the flowering kinds in wilderness works, or 

 in lines in avenues of trees." Miller informs us that he 

 received seeds from Istria, gathered from plants growing 

 spontaneously in the fields : the plants raised from them 

 bore single red flowers ; but other seeds received from 

 Madras produced double flowers of various colours, 



* This last description applies with remarkable accuracy to some of our 

 finest modern varieties. 



