^;^^^ J 



THE DOUBLE STOCK. 



EFEEENCE to the older au- 

 thors will in a ^ery striking- 

 manner illnstrnte the much- 

 talked-oi' improvement of gar- 

 den tloviors. In the days of the 

 earlv English writers on horti- 

 culture there were no such 

 stocks known as we are now 

 familiar with, although the 

 " stock gilli flower/' as it was 

 called, had assumed a variety of 

 fiirms, and there were several 

 kinds with doidjle flowers in 

 cnltivatiiin. The gay colour- 

 ing and the spicy odour of the 

 Howers would ensure popularity 

 for the plant m its least im- 

 proveil form,, and these equalities 

 have ensured constant attention to its merits, so that 

 even fashion, which often puts its foot on beautiful flowers 

 for no good reason whatever, has not succeeded at any 

 time in depreciating this tine old favourite. 



There are ahont thirt\- species of stocks known to 



