THE HOLLYHOCK (ALTHAEA ROSEA). 



545 



also neat, well-filled centres and narrow guard-petals. The 

 Scotch varieties had immense flowers, with wide guard-petals 

 and smaller centres, indented with openings, termed " pockets " 

 by gardeners. It occurred to Mr. John Laing, who was at that 

 time a famous gardener in Scotland, to hybridise the English and 

 Scotch types with each other, hoping thereby to obtain a new 

 strain with a smaller width of outer petal than the Scotch type, 

 and a greater width than the small English flowers. In this Mr. 

 Laing was eminently successful. Other growers at that time, or 

 earlier even, made great improvements in our plant ; amongst 

 them it is only right to mention Mr. Charles Baron, a working 

 shoemaker, of Walden, who, by concentrating his energies on one 

 flower, was able to improve it very much indeed, as the record of 

 beautiful varieties raised by him will testify. It is very gratifying 

 to me not only to record the result of the labours of the Walden 

 shoemaker, but also to acknowledge our indebtedness to the 

 labouring class for the many beautiful florists' flowers that adorn 

 our gardens ; to such men as the hand-loom weavers of Lanca- 

 shire, the working cutlers of Sheffield, and the factory operatives of 

 Newcastle, for producing Auriculas, Pinks, Carnations, Picotees, 

 Tulips, and Polyanthuses. Other raisers in England at the time 

 I have mentioned were Messrs. Paul & Sons, of Cheshunt ; 

 Mr. Chater, of Saffron Walden, &c. 



Propagation. — The Hollyhock is propagated by seeds, 

 cuttings, and root-grafting. Seedling raising is the easiest and 

 most natural way, and if seeds are obtained in a haphazard way, 

 from the best named varieties at present in cultivation, at least 

 50 per cent, of the progeny will be as good as the parents— a 

 few may even surpass them. This method of culture does not 

 require the use of glass lights or glass protectors of any kind. 

 The seeds may be sown in the open border early in May ; and 

 when the plants have grown so that they may be easily 

 handled, they may be pricked out about 6 inches apart on 

 a bed of fine soil, to be planted where they are to flower about 

 the middle of September. The plants should be 3 feet apart 

 in the rows, and 4 feet between the rows. 



Cuttings are taken in the summer and autumn by cutting 

 out the leaf-buds from the lateral growths, much in the same 

 way as the eyes of vines are taken for propagation. Plant each 

 eye singly in a small pot of sandy soil. At the same time many 



