176 
THE HOLLYHOCK. 
flowers of the autumn. It seems .to me that no good reason has 
ever yet been offered against the hollyhock becoming an exhibition 
flower, and were inducements held out for its adoption, I think 
we should speedily witness a vast improvement; the single 
blooms, when shown in-boxes, have a very good effect, or if it 
was thought desirable, limited portions of the spike might be 
brought to our meetings. The first and most considerable im¬ 
provement to be effected in the flowers is to increase their sub¬ 
stance ; to remove their flimsiness, and impart a fleshy firmness 
would be to render them equal in beauty to any flower we 
possess; already we have hundreds of shades of colour, and 
flowers as double as can be wished, and with the additional stout¬ 
ness in their component parts, nothing further seems desirable, 
unless, indeed, we were to set about dwarfing their stems, a 
matter desirable under some circumstances, as it would render 
them less liable to injury from wind, and perhaps make them 
more manageable in small gardens. To do all this will doubtless 
occupy many years, but as gardeners of the present day know 
both how to do it, and what has been effected by the same means, 
there can be no doubt of their accomplishing the task if once it 
is fairly taken in hand. 
The cultivation of hollyhocks is one of the simplest operations 
in horticulture; the seed should be sown in April or May, on 
tolerably rich light earth, and through the summer they only 
require to be kept clear of weeds, till in August they will be 
large enough to transplant into nursery rows ; a distance of 
eighteen square inches should be kept between the plants, and 
in these rows they remain to be proved. Early in the following 
spring it will benefit the plants to fork in a slight coating of 
dung, and by keeping the ground clear of weeds, the bloom-stems 
will have every opportunity of rising with strength, and when 
about three feet high they should be fastened to stout stakes ; 
these supports never need be more than four feet long, as it may 
be remarked that the stems are seldom or ever injured but by 
being broken off close to the root, and if the lower part is held 
secure no danger need be apprehended to the upper portion. 
When coming into bloom, the seedlings should be examined fre¬ 
quently, and all single or semi-double varieties taken out, as they 
would only tend to spoil the seed of those left for the purpose. 
