316 AN HOUR WITH THE HOLLYHOCK. 



improvement. Indeed, so many points crowd upon the 

 mind that we fear we may become chargeable with 

 partiality in thus particularising. But as we cannot pursue 

 this argument further, we may just briefly say, that we 

 certainly must not consider our work done until we realise 

 in every colour the form of our ideal standard. 



Let us suppose, then, that we are about to plant a 

 seminary, and have decided that it shall contain twelve 

 varieties : how shall we select them ? The following have 

 been chosen with the view to embrace every important 

 feature of the flower in the greatest perfection : 



1. Beauty of Cheshunt.* 7. Metropolitan. 



2. Black Prince, improved. 8. Pourpre de Tyre. 



3. Fireball, superb. 9. Professor Dick. 



4. Glory of Cheshunt. 10. Walden Rival. 



5. Honourable Mrs Ashley. 11. White Globe. 



6. Lizzy. 12. Sidonia. 



With these materials and a camel-hair pencil we are 

 prepared for crossing. The best time for carrying on this 

 work is the morning, so soon as the dew passes from the 

 flowers. There are, perhaps, no varieties, however double, 

 which will not yield stamens or styles to a close inspec- 

 tion. It is only necessary to collect the pollen from the 

 stamens by passing the brush lightly over them, and to 

 convey it to the flower required to produce seed, drawing 

 a muslin bag over the flower after the operation. Such 

 kinds as are not very double and seed freely, may be 

 grown in a rich soil, and the spikes may be shortened, 

 leaving, after thinning, about twelve flowers on each. 

 Never allow a bad or imperfect flower to remain for seed ; 

 invariably pull off such immediately that it appears. The 

 very double kinds may be grown in a poor soil. The 

 spikes should not be shortened, but the flowers of all will 

 require a plentiful thinning. As the flowers at the lower 



* For the characters of these varieties see Descriptive Lists. 



