THU SINGLE STOCK. 123 



a doubt that the gillyflowers Perdita cared not for were the 

 streaked stocks figured by Parkinson at ^59 of the " Para- 

 disus," and labelled " Single stript Stock Gilloflovvers." 



The curious reader may be disposed to inquire why 

 these flowers were called •s/oc/('-gillyflowers ? for from that 

 old compound we derive the modern designation "stock." 

 The reply is of interest, as tending the more certainly to 

 define the range of the term " gillyflower," and so make 

 an end of controversy. They were called stock-gillyflowers 

 to distinguish them from others that were not stocky; for 

 the stock has a distinct stem, and is tree-like in growth, 

 some of the kinds forming bushes two to three feet high, 

 whereas the "clove gillyflowers" are grass-like rather than 

 tree-like in their growth, and these last were the gilly- 

 flowers, or gilly vors, par excellence. 



Single stocks are not thought much of by the florists, 

 but when seen in large clumps they are as cheerful as any 

 flowers in the garden, and their spicy odour is very re- 

 freshing. The annual or ten- week stocks should ba treated 

 as half-hardy to insure a good bloom, and the following is 

 as good a code of cultivation as we can devise for them. 



Sow the seed in pans filled with light rich soil in 

 March and April. Keep the pans under glass until the 

 plants are stout and strong, and then jjlant them out in 

 a frame. If you cannot do this, wait until the weather 

 becomes warm and settled, and put the pans out of doors, 

 giving them a little protection for the first two or thrcL 

 nights. If the seedlings are put into the frame you will 

 be able to transplant them to the beds with nice tufts of 

 roots ; if you cannot bring them on in this careful way, 

 you must transplant into the beds from the seed-pans, but 

 for this you must wait for summery weather. 



