September 30 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
415 
In a sheltered peat border, wo saw, perhaps, the largest 
existing stock of that beautiful North American plant, 
tho Spigelia marilandica. The bed was ten feet long, and 
three feet wido, and full of plants, most of which were in 
flower. To a lover of rare plants this sight was rich 
and full of interest. We fear wo are trespassing upon 
the patience of our readers, but we feel we are only 
doing justice to the gentlemen who must have devoted a 
great amount of time and expense in procuring and keep¬ 
ing such an assemblage of rare plants as may be seen 
hero. We could fill a paper twice the length of this if 
we were to notice all that we saw there, if Mr. Erring- 
ton will see this place, we are sure he would pick up 
something worthy of note, especially the excellent way 
in which the training of fruit-trees, standard as well as 
dwarf, is managed. T. Appleby. 
THE HOLLYHOCK. 
( Concluded, from gage 398.) 
Tins fine autumnal flower is so easily managed, will 
grow so well in almost any situation (excepting absolute 
shade), and is really and truly so fine an ornament to 
either the cottage garden or baronial castle, suitable to 
both extremes, as well as to every intermediate sized 
garden, that no wonder now, in its improved state, it 
should be an universal favourite. We have devoted 
several weeks papers to its culture, and trust that we 
have raised it in the estimation of such as alroady culti¬ 
vate it, and encouraged them not only to persevere 
therein, but also to try to improve it by raising im¬ 
proved varieties from seed. The cottager might espe¬ 
cially direct attention to this fine flower. During a 
journey, lately, in the north, wo saw some cottages orna¬ 
mented largely with it. The plants had been put in, 
when very young, close to tho wall of tho cottage, and 
supplied, whilst growing, with liquid manure. They 
had grown strong, and were, when we noticed them, in 
fine flowering condition. Some had nailed them to the 
wall in the usual way, with nails and narrow shreds of 
cloth; others had fastened them up with long rods, 
placed horizontally, or across several stems at once; 
both answered well, and the flower-stems nearly hid the 
walls of tho cottages. The flowers naturally turned 
from the wall, and showed their sunny faces towards the 
spectator. We were much pleased with the sight, and 
think the hint and practice might be imitated by more 
learned and scientific men. Used for this purpose, the 
hollyhock would hide many a blank, bad wall, or naked 
bank of earth, or any other unsightly object. We trust, 
also, our papers on the Hollyhocks will be of some ser¬ 
vice to our brother gardeners holding situations in 
gentlemen’s gardens. We are quite sure their em¬ 
ployers, who are generally at home during the holly¬ 
hock season of bloom, would be delighted to havo some of 
the better kinds, such as are mentioned in the list below, 
blooming in the borders of the kitchen gardens, planted 
as our friend Mr. Roberts did his, as mentioned in a 
former paper, and amongst shrubs now bare of bloom, 
aud in various other situations, which a judicious gar¬ 
dener would easily find for them. The stately height 
they grow to, and the large, bright-coloured flowers, 
render them fit for situations where other flowers of 
more humble pretensions would either bo smothered, or, 
on account of the smallness of their flowers, would not 
be seen. The Hollyhock, on the contrary, may be seen 
effectively a quarter of a mile off', and may, in conse¬ 
quence, be planted largely for that purpose. 
Our pleasant task on this flower is nearly done; all 
that remains is to give a list of such as are esteemed, 
and known to be good varieties. Amateurs, florists, 
gentlemen’s gardeners, and cottagers, all wjjo can afford, 
ought to purchase more or less of them, according to 
their means. From these decidedly good flowers, cut¬ 
tings can be taken and seed saved, so that the first pur¬ 
chase may be the only one necessary. The best time to 
procure them is, wo judge, in March, or, if tho plants 
are strong, they might be had in October. 
List or good and choice Hollyhocks. 
Atrosanguinea, good form; rich dark crimson. 
Attraction, form excellent; a curiously mottled flower. 
Bicolor, form excellent; purple and white. 
Blade Prince, good shape; very dark colour, almost black. 
Coccinea (Baron), good shape; bright rich scarlet. 
Comet (Chater), form excellent; very large flower of a 
bright ruby-red. 
Dclicata (Baron), delicate French-white; a lovely variety, j 
Delicatissima ( Bragg), good form; French-white shaded \ 
with purple. 
Exquisite (Parsons), form excellent; fine deep rose. 
Flower of the Dag (Bragg), pink; of the finest form and 
substance. 
Magniflora (Bragg), fine deep rose; very large. 
Magnum bonum (Baron), rich maroon; a well-shaped 
flower. 
Model of Perfection (Chater), fine; white and chocolate. 
Mr. C. Baron (Chater), one of the finest flowers ever 
raisedj a rich salmon; of most excellent form. 
Prince of Orange (Bragg), a fine flower; of a deep 
orange-red. 
Queen (Baron), light blush; very pleasing. 
Roseagrandijlora (Baron), pink; fine form. 
Rosea alba (Chater), rose and white, distinct. 
Sulphurea elegans, fine form; clear sulphur. 
Sulphureaperfecta (Rivers), fine form; clear sulphur. 
Snowflake, a pure good white ; of excellent properties. 
Walden Gem (Chater), a most excellent variety; of a deep 
rosy-crimson. 
From Is. to 3s. Cd. each. T. Appleby. 
REMARKS ON THE SEASON 1S52, AND ITS 
EFFECTS ON CROPS. 
In scanning over the subjects which have appeared 
in this volume of The Cottage Gardener, 1 have 
come to the conclusion that an article expressive of the 
season, as it has affected the crops, &c., in the district I 
write from (West Kent), may prove as interesting, if not as 
instructive as any; and as our little paper is read by many 
whose residence may bo hundreds of miles from this 
county, they will thereby be able to compare notes, and 
see how much difference latitude makes in certain 
things. In this respect, some of those located to the 
north of tho Trent, or it may be of the Tweed, may 
gather consolation that they are not likely to be last in 
every thing, as they will see we have our difficulties as 
well as they, only of a different kind; aud they will 
likewise see that a journey southwards does not infer : 
that progressive improvement in all the productions ot ■ 
the earth, which latitude, and that “ time-honoured | 
belief” in great things, which the uninitiated are some- j 
times led to expect when they first arrive from a great ] 
distance to some of the counties bordering the metro- i 
polis. 
Beginning with the early winter, which was ex- i 
ceedingly dry up to the middle of January, when we | 
had some heavy rains, at intervals, up to the middle of 
the next month, after which it again became dry with 
a settled N.E. wind, or nearly so ; this, with very little 
variation, continued up to the middle of May, vylien a ; 
few slight showers became the forerunner of more 
abundant rains, which fell in the early part of June, and 
more or less so up to the middle, or near the end ot it, 
when dry hot weather set in rather suddenly, and so 
intensely warm that the ground, previously soaked with 
the rain, became converted into a sort of smoking bot- 
bed. The heat became so extreme in July, as to range 
