June 8. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
177 
1 Fern, of great beauty ; easily known by its habit; suit¬ 
able for basket culture. Increased by division. 
P. flexuosa (Twining).—Is a stove Fern, from Peru, 
that loses its leaves annually. It is a twiner, growing 
| from four to six feet high, and is very ornamental. 
\ Increased by division. T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
( Continued from pat/e ] fiO.) 
THE STOCK. 
The botanical name of the genus to which the Stock 
belongs is Mattldolus, and the species I have to do with 
in this paper are, 
M. annua, Ten-week Stock. 
,, densitlora, Dwarf German annual Stock. 
,, cheirifolia, Wallflower-leaved Stock. 
„ intermedia, Intermediate Stock. 
„ simplicicaulis, Simple-stemmed, or Bromp- 
ton Stock. 
„ incana, Hoary, or Queen Stock. 
These are subdivided again into varieties, according 
to the colours of the flowers. 
In a former paper, I described the culture of the first 
species and varieties in the open air, and intimated that 
T should hereafter describe the culture of the annuals in 
pots, and the biennials in the borders, &c., I must now 
i fulfil that intimation. 
The kind, or variety, chiefly cultivated in pots near 
London, is the Intermediate Stock. I believe it is grown 
because that variety produces the greatest number of 
double flowers. Some nurserymen and florists near 
the metropolis grow thousands of pots of this valuable 
Stock, using it both as a pot plant and to put it into 
the Mignonette boxes for the windows and balconies of 
town residences, and villas in the neighbourhood. It is 
equally valuable to plant out in masses, or in patches, 
in the flower-garden. And, to within a year or two 
back, this variety was confined to one colour, the red or 
scarlet, but now seedsmen have in their lists, white, blue, 
and rose-coloured Intermediate Stocks, all equally free 
i in producing double flowers. These varieties are, by a 
practiced eye, easily distinguished from the Ten-week 
i Stocks. They are known by their habit, which is more 
Dwarf; and by their flower spikes branching off at light 
angles, or nearly so; and by such a large proportion of 
1 double flowers produced by a given number of plants, 
I may venture to assert that, in genoral, every hundred 
plants will produce eighty double ones. 
Culture in Pots .—The London florists sow their main 
crops in July or the first week in August. They sow 
them in boxes or pans, or even in a prepared bed or 
border, using a light, rich soil; and as soon as they have 
■ made three or four leaves they are carefully taken up 
and potted singly into three-inch pots, in a rather strong 
soil, placing them closely in rows upon a bed of coal 
ashes, then, being duly watered, as they require it, they 
remain till October or November, and then they are 
removed under shelter for the winter months. Some 
cultivators that have plenty of glass frames place them 
under them, plunging them up to the rims in coal ashes; 
others content themselves with placing them in cradles, 
which are, in fact, a frame-work of beds inclosed with 
boards six or eight inches deep, and hooped over with 
ha/.el rods, or long laths, nailed to a kind of roof tree, and 
covered with mats in severe weather. The glass frames 
are, however, the best protection, because the glass 
throws off better the heavy rains and snows of winter, 
they being the most destructive enemies these Stocks 
have to contend with. I have, however, seen very good 
Stocks grown under the cradles. 
There they remain in these pots till the blooms just 
appear, so as to be able to distinguish the double flowers, 
they are then potted into five-iuch pots, using a richer 
compost, to encourage free growth and fine blooms. 
Part of the crop is placed in frames kept close, to bring 
them earlier into bloom, and the rest are put into their 
old quarters to keep them back. A succession of bloom 
is often secured by sowing two or three different times 
in succession. Sometimes a few are put into a gentle 
heat to bring them earlier into flower, but, generally 
speaking, the stock does not bear forcing well. 
The general management of these fine early flowers 
consists in just keeping them moist at the root; during 
frosty weather almost no water will be required. Full 
exposure to the sun and open air must be constantly 
given on all favourable occasions ; but during the winter 
not a drop of water must be allowed to fall upon the 
leaves, or they will soon get mouldy and damp off. 
Dry frost will not hurt them unless very severe. Mice, 
in severe weather, if they can get into the frames, will 
devour them for want of better food. These must be 
watched for and destroyed; slugs, too, will feed upon i 
them; but the watchful cultivator will soon see their 
slimy marks, search for these nasty enemies, and prevent 
their ravages by destroying them. Worms, when the 
bed of ashes is not thick enough, will find their way 
into the pots and do mischief by disarranging the soil. 
These may be got rid of by observing their casts on the 
surface, turning such pots upside down, shaking the ball 
carefully out of the pots, and then picking out the 
worms. Or they may be killed by watering with lime- 
water. By attending to these instructions, the gardener, 
or amateur, may grow as fine Intermediate Stocks as may 1 
be seen in and about London. T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
PRIDE AND SELF-WILL. 
By the Authoress of “ My Flowers." 
(Concluded from page 142.) 
The conclusion of Jane Markham’s history is a loud 
warning, and valuable lesson to young women, who, in the 
thoughtlessness and wilfulness and wickedness of unre- i 
strained and corrupt nature, plunge into a sin that leads to 
another and another, and draws them into depths of which 
they had no notion when the first step was takeD. Sin, like I 
water that runneth apace, needs strong and mighty barriers 
to keep it from breaking bounds. The least outlet—nay, j 
but a soft, yielding spot through which it can slowly soak— 
will soon give it room to rush as a furious torrent, bearing 
down everything before it, and flooding the land. It is 
needful to watch and bank up diligently the first appearance 
of the first and faintest temptation to sin ; for it is scarcely ! 
possible—it is all but impossible—to stop when the foot is I 
in the stirrup; and we know, by Adam’s experience, as well 
as by that of every one of his children, that death entered 
into the world by sin. The death of the body too often ; 
follows sin, in these our days, as well as death of the soul. 
“Jane Markham's new situation was with a large family, | 
a mile or two away in the country, and although at first she 
seemed very low spirited and unhappy, yet in a few weeks 
she recovered her cheerfulness and usual good spirits, and 
delighted her employers by her ready perception and deanly 
habits. She had, however, only been with them about seven 
or eight weeks, when she was requested by a younger 
sister, who had often given her parents much trouble, to act 
as bridesmaid at her approaching wedding. Her new master 
and mistress kindly gave their consent, and she left early 
one morning with the strict understanding that she was to 
return the following evening. That evening, however, passed 
away, and no Jane Markham made her appearance. The 
next day’s sun also set, and Jane was still absent. About 
noon, on the third day, her master received a note, signed 
‘ Miss Markham,’ excusing her absence on account of illness, 
