THE HOLLYHOCK. 
1 77 
The qualifications to be sought are—first, a moderate strength 
in the stem; second, such an arrangement of the flowers, as, 
that when they are fully expanded, they may meet round the stem 
and completely cover it. There should be no vacancies between 
them when full blown, and each flower should have a long and 
strong foot-stalk, so as to stand boldly forward; the individual 
flowers should be large, quite double, and those, having in ad¬ 
dition to the other qualities, the thickest and most regularly- 
arranged petals, will be the best. Such as these will be worth 
propagating, and unless seed is desired of them, should be pre¬ 
pared accordingly; the saving of seed always tends to weaken a 
plant, and therefore those it is desired to increase should be cut 
down immediately their beauty declines. The only mode of 
propagating the approved varieties is by separation of the stool 
or crown of the plant, and that method is often attended with 
a difficulty on account of the paucity of roots. In October, 
when the young leaves of the crown have grown about a couple 
of inches, the roots may be taken up, and they will be found to 
have divided at the crown into two or more parts, each of these 
may be separated, taking care to secure a portion of the fibres 
to each piece to assist its progress through the winter. A bed of 
light rich earth in a warm position should be prepared for the 
slips, into which they should be inserted completely up to the 
neck, and in severe weather it is often necessary to protect them 
with a covering of litter, as in their wounded state they are very 
liable to injury from frost. 
The use of this bedding through the winter, is to encourage 
the production of young roots from the crown, and to facilitate 
the covering when necessary ; in the succeeding March they may 
be finally stationed as blooming plants, and in such position 
should have plenty of room allowed them on all sides. From 
their erect manner of growing, however, a less space is sufficient 
than would be required for dahlias, and thus we may collect in a 
given space, a greater variety of colours than could be had by the 
employment of the other family, a consideration of no small 
consequence in limited gardens, and, moreover, the hollyhock 
does not refuse to display its beauties in the most confined 
districts. 
H. T. 
