ROCKETS 
M. littorea (of the seashore). 6 to 12 inches, with very narrow, 
lance-shaped, almost entire, hoary leavea Flowers large pinkish purple, 
distinguished from the following species by the lack of veiningonthe 
broad portion (limb) of the petals; June to November; succeeded by 
hoary seed-pods. 
M. maritima (of the sea). Virginian Stock. Stems erect, branched, 
6 to 12 inches. Leaves narrow, oval or elliptical, much narrowed at the 
base, grey-green. The flowers are from f to 1 inch across, of various 
colours; white, pink, lilac, rosy-red becoming tinged with violet; spring 
to autumn according to date of sowing the seed. 
Cultivation. Naturally these are plants of the seashore, and used 
to a poor, light soil; there is therefore no need to prescribe 
special composts for them in the garden. The almost universal mistake 
made by amateurs is in sowing the seed with a too lavish hand—lavish, 
that is, not in the sense of sowing broadcast, but of dropping too large a 
quantity of seed into too restricted a space. They desire thick lines of 
flowery edging, but defeat their own purpose. One-sixth of the quantity 
usually sown would give more robust, longer-lived plants, that would 
give a better and more continuous floral display. Overcrowding of the 
seedlings means semi-starvation and a short display, to be followed by 
a weedy-looking edging in which dead plants are as numerous as the 
living ones. If sown where they are to flower, the seeds should be 
sprinkled sparingly but evenly. A better plan is to sow in a seed-bed 
in September, and thin the seedlings out to a couple of inches apart as 
soon as possible. Then early in March transplant to the bed or border 
where they are desired to bloom, keeping them about eight inches apart, 
and in lieu of the usual wiry, weedy specimens you will have thick 
bushy plants that will produce abundance of large flowers for a long 
period. A succession may be kept up by later sowings. 
Description of M. Tnaritima, the Virginian Stock. White and pink 
Plate 27. flowered specimens are shown, with the leaves and seed- 
pods. Fig. 1 is an enlarged section of the flower, showing disposition 
of the parts. Fig. 2, a seed, natural size, and much enlarged. Fig. 3, 
ROCKETS 
Natural Order Crucifers. Genus Eesperis 
Hesperis (Greek, ’ esperos , the evening, bestowed because some of the 
species are only fragrant in the evening). A genus of about twenty 
