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CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



downy. The Wallflower-leaved Stocks have leaves 

 of a hright shining green, smooth, and without a 

 particle of down. How did the Wallflower-leaved 

 varieties originate ? We cannot get any satisfactory 

 reply. The foliage is in direct contrast to that of 

 other Stocks. In keeping the various colours of 

 Stocks true for seed purposes, there is one very 

 difficult circumstance. Certain sorts invariably pro- 

 duce a difference in colour between the double and 

 single flowers. This is clearly illustrated in the 

 sulphur-yellow varieties ; in these the single flowers 

 always come white. Sometimes, as a consequence, a 

 pure white Stock will come among the yeUow 

 varieties. Lastly, it is necessary to state that 

 double Stocks never produce seeds. Only from single 

 flowers can seed be saved. But the plants are so 

 treated by artificial fertilisation under glass, and by 

 the assistance of insects in the open-air, that the 

 seed win produce a large percentage of double 

 flowers. A good strain of Stocks will yield from 75 to 

 85 per cent, of double flowers ; but very rarely indeed 

 will all the plants raised from a packet of seeds pro- 

 duce double flowers ; and surely this is a circumstance 

 no one can regret, for should seed of Stocks produce 

 all double and no single flowers, there would then be 

 an end to this beautiful class of common plants, for 

 there would be no seed to raise them from. 



Wallflowers — The botanical name of the Wall- 

 flower is Cheiranthus Cheri, and it is derived from cheir, 

 the hand, and anthos, a flower ; in reference, it is sup- 

 posed, to the custom of carrying the Wallflower in the 

 hand for a nosegay. The common Wallflower is a 

 native of the South of Em-ope, and was introduced to 

 this country in 1573. It has now become quite 

 naturalised on old walls and ruins in this countiy ; 

 and we think it is very probable many readers wiU 

 be surprised to learn that a common flower which 

 has spread itself everywhere over the face of the 

 country is not indigenous to it. 



In an old gardening book published 150 years ago, 

 we read, "The common single Wallflower is very 

 seldom cultivated in gardens, but the double of this 

 Mnd is very common in most of the English 

 gardens." Exactly the reverse is the ease now ; for 

 while the single types are very largely grown, the 

 old double forms of the English Wallflowers are now 

 seldom met with. Hundreds of acres of dark or 

 blood Wallflowers are annually planted in the market 

 gardens round London to supply Covent Garden and 

 the other flower markets ; and instead of these bloom- 

 ing in March, April, and May, so carefully has this 

 variety been selected, that we have now an early- 

 blooming strain, appropriately named Harbinger, , 

 that ia in flower in October, and when the winter is 

 mild they flower all through that season. 



There are three distinct types of single Wall- 

 flowers, viz. : the Blood-red, from which Harbinger- 

 is a fine selection ; the YeUow Tom Thumb, which is 

 something of a misnomer, because it is rather a tall- 

 growing variety, bearing fine pure yellow flowers ■, 

 and the Belvoir Castle Dwarf Yellow, a pure yelldw, 

 very dwarf, and extremely free-flowering variety. 

 These originated by means of careful selection, and 

 they are of great value in the flower garden in 

 spring and earlj' summer. Now, the Blood-red Wall- 

 flower has seeds of a red colour ; so has the Yellow 

 Tom Thumb; but the Belvoir Castle has quite 

 small seeds of a yellow colour, like the flowers ; so 

 any one possessing this knowledge can soon teU 

 whether they have seed of the true thing or not. 



There are German Wallflowers also, so named 

 because they are grown by the German seed-growers : 

 and they are both single and double. They are of 

 several colours ; among the single German varieties 

 will be found some having shades of purple ; attempts 

 have been made in this country to fix these purple 

 shades, but without avail, as seed from these will 

 produce dark varieties. The German single Wall- 

 fiowers are of tall growth; unlike that of our 

 market strains of dark Wallflowers, which are of a 

 very dwarf and compact branching growtl ; so that 

 an individual plant of the latter throws a large 

 quantity of flowers. 



As a general rule, seeds of Wallflowers are sown 

 much too late to have strong plants to flower in the 

 spring following, for Wallflowers are true biennials. 

 Those who grow for market sow their seeds in May 

 and the early part of June ; and gardeners of all 

 degrees should follow their example. When the 

 seeds are sown late, the plants do not properly 

 mature their growth by winter, and are apt to make 

 but a poor show of bloom. The plants should in their 

 season be solid with bloom, not dotted with it merely; 

 and well-developed plants form little mountains 

 of fire and gold. And then the flowers are so richly 

 fragrant, that scarcely any other common flower 

 can compete with it in this respect. Therefore, sow 

 Wallflower-seeds in May and June in the open air, 

 in an open sunny spot, on rather poor but level and 

 rather gritty soil, which is favourable to free-rooting. 

 As soon as possible after the plants are two inches 

 high, they, should be transplanted into rows six 

 inches asunder, and three inches apart in the row. 

 In about three weeks or a month, the plants should 

 be again transplanted, lifting every other row, and 

 each alternate plant from the rows that remain ; thus 

 leaving a certain number to grow into size. The 

 plants that are removed should be planted six to 

 nine inches apart every way, and have a little water 

 if needed, to help them into a free growth. Wall- 

 flowers treated in this way come in very useful 



