THE HOLLYHOCK (ALTHJEA ROSEA). 



517 



The flowers must be removed as soon as they show signs of 

 decay, for two reasons — first, because if seeds are expected the 

 decaying mouldy petals will cause the seed-pods to rot ; and in 

 the second place, decaying flowers detract very considerably from 

 the beauty of the fully developed sound ones higher up on the 

 spikes. 



When the flowering and seeding periods are over cut the 

 stems down to a height of 6 inches from the ground. Soon 

 after this the plants may be dug up and either planted out 

 closely together in a frame or planted in flower-pots, and these 

 may be plunged to the rim in some dry material, such as dry 

 cocoa-nut fibre refuse. In the spring all the shoots or growths 

 except one may be taken off to form cuttings or root-grafts, and 

 they will produce roots freely in a hot-bed or propagating-house 

 as early in the year as January and February. 



Diseases and Insect Pests. — Ked-spider is the most trouble- 

 some of all the insects injurious to the Hollyhock. It spreads 

 over the leaves very rapidly, if unheeded, in hot weather ; but 

 it is detected in its earliest stages by the experienced cultivator, 

 who speedily orders the application of water by a good syringe 

 to the under sides of the leaves, and the mere mechanical force 

 of the water, if applied daily, dislodges the pest ; and the water 

 which trickles down the main stem to the roots is beneficial to 

 the plants, as it is only in hot dry weather that the spider is 

 troublesome. The spittle-fly does a little mischief in the early 

 stages of the plant's growth, but they are seldom so numerous 

 as to be a pest to the cultivator, and they are easily destroyed. 



A much more formidable parasite is the Hollyhock fungus, 

 Puccinia malvacearum (figs. 37 and 38*) ; it is very insidious in its 

 attacks, appearing when it is least expected, and holding on until 

 the plants are reduced to unsightly objects, with the withered leaves 

 rustling in the wind — a melancholy spectacle. I have tried to 

 destroy it by picking off the affected leaves and well washing 

 the apparently sound ones in soft-soapy water in which had been 

 mixed a large portion of flowers-of-sulphur. This repeated 

 several times has had the effect of warding it off until quite the 

 end of the season, when not much mischief has been done. Mr. 



* For the use of the illustrations (figs. 37 and 38) of the fungus which 

 affects the Hollyhock as well as other Malvaceous plants we are indebted 

 to the Editor of the Gardeners' Chronicle. 



