60 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
half of the spike of seed-pods, it is evident that even this already-limited 
area is considerably lessened. Seeds of what are generally denominated 
summer-flowering Stocks should be sown about the middle of March, in a 
cold frame in a well-prepared bed raised up near to the glass. The seeds 
should be sown very thinly, as they are liable to be attacked by mildew; 
and the thicker the plants are, the greater will be the number destroyed. 
When the plants are sprinkled overhead, air should be given to dry the 
foliage, or mildew will ensue. On the part of the amateur gardener close 
attention must be given to this point, or the whole crop of plants may 
suffer considerably. A bed composed of manure and leaves that will yield 
a gentle warmth can also be employed to raise the young plants. It should 
be in a sheltered position, and a covering can be made of green rods bent 
in the form of a bow and roofed with garden mats. A bed of this cha¬ 
racter must be kept close, should frost or cold winds prevail. 
The ground in which it is intended to flower the plants should be well 
trenched in the winter, so as to have the full and beneficial action of the 
frost. During showery weather the work of transplantation should be per¬ 
formed, and if the subsequent weather should prove dry, frequent sprink¬ 
lings through a rose watering-pot should be administered. With a rich 
soil and moisture at the roots combined, there cannot fail to be a rich 
harvest of flowers. The exhibitor of the Stock will, as the show ap¬ 
proaches, be fully alive to the value of occasional waterings with liquid 
manure, as well as careful shading of the flowers. 
The seed of the biennial, or winter kinds of Stocks, such as the Bromp- 
ton, Emperor, Cape, and Queen, should be sown in June, in order that the 
plants may be strong to withstand the rigour of the winter. Damp appears 
to be as hostile to the winter Stocks as the summer ones. High and dry 
situations, under the shelter of a south or west wall, are good positions in 
which to winter the plants successfully. The grower should be careful 
when transplanting not to reduce the ball of earth about the roots, so that 
there be no check given to the growth of the plant. 
Quo. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND ZONAL PELARGONIUMS. 
Having for a considerable number of years borne allegiance to Autumn’s 
Queen, the Chrysanthemum, I feel it my duty to do battle for her when she 
is attacked; and this she lately has been by Mr. Cramb. Before she is 
deposed and banished to the kitchen garden, I trust we shall have some 
explanation of Mr. Cramb’s first assertion, that the Chrysanthemum’s reign 
of supremacy is drawing to a close. I have no doubt his statement is 
correct so far as Tortworth Court is concerned—that it is generally so I 
deny; but this is not a point of much importance, for the mere fact of 
popularity is not always a proof that a thing is good in itself. 
Mr. Cramb’s second assertion is that Chrysanthemums cannot supply 
the desideratum of the winter season—namely, an array of warm colours, 
being too far removed from the primary colours. Surely he would have 
some appreciation of the beauty of Crimson Velvet, Julie Lagravere, 
Madame Poggi, Gloria Mundi, Yellow Perfection, and Jardin des Plantes, 
which certainly come sufficiently near to two out of three of the primary 
colours to satisfy the most fastidious. I must admit the deficiency of the 
Chrysanthemum in regard to the only other primary colour—blue, but in this 
respect it is certainly not inferior to the Zonal Pelargonium, which exhibits 
