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leaves, which are frequently waved on their edges, 
and turned downward at their extremity. From 
the stalk are sent out many lateral branches, 
garnished with the same shaped leaves, but 
smaller. These side branches are each termi- 
nated by a loose spike of flowers, each having an 
oblong woolly empalement, and consists of four 
large roundish petals, indented at the end. These 
usually appear in May and June, but the same 
plants frequently continue flowering most part 
of summer. The seeds ripen in autumn, and the 
plants generally perish soon after; but when any 
of them grow in dry rubbish, they will last two 
or three years, and become shrubby. Those with 
single flowers are not worth preserving after they 
have perfected their seeds. The flowers of this 
sort vary in their colour; some are of a pale red, 
others of a bright red, and some curiously varie- 
gated ; but those of the bright are generally most 
esteemed. There are always a great number of 
double flowers produced; if the seeds are well 
chosen, frequently three in four of the plants will 
be double; and as they divide into many branches, 
make a fine appearance during their continuance 
in flower—The Brompton stock rises with an 
upright, strong, undivided stalk to the height of 
two feet or more, garnished with long hoary 
leaves, reflexed, and waved on their edges, and 
at the top form a large head. Out of the centre 
of these arises the flower stalk, which, when the 
plants are strong, is frequently a foot and a half 
long, putting out two or three short branches 
toward the bottom. The flowers of this kind 
have longer petals than any of the other sorts, 
and are formed into a pyramidal spike; but those 
with single flowers are loosely disposed, because 
the flowers having but few petals, do not fill the 
spike, as those do which are double; for these 
often have so many petals, as to render each 
flower as large and full as small roses; and when 
they are of a bright red, make a noble appear- 
ance, being excelled by none of the flowery tribe. 
But the plants of this sort produce but one spike, 
in which it differs from all the other kinds.” 
Almost all persons who profess to grow large 
quantities of stocks in pots for the market have 
favourite subvarieties of their own, which can- 
not easily or at all be identified with the normal 
plants of any botanical species or leading varie- 
ties; and all the principal seedsmen of the pre- 
sent day, besides vending many sorts of ten- 
weeks, queen, and Brompton, sell also great groups 
under the name of German, smaller groups under 
the name of Prussian, besides numbers of special 
sorts under such names as Victoria, Prince of 
Wales, New Emperor, New European, Scarlet in- 
termediate, Purple intermediate, Chamois, and 
Superb. The German florists have been emi- 
nently successful in raising and perpetuating 
very numerous and distinct varieties,—especially 
in the tints and shades of the colouring of the 
flowers; and seeds of annual stocks alone im- 
ported to Britain from Continental Europe pro- 
STOCK. 
duce many distinct shades from white to deep - 
red, from white to deep purple, and from white 
to dark slate colour, and run into no fewer than 
between 40 and 50 different characters, all toler- 
ably true. 
“The most extraordinary fact with regard to 
the culture of stocks,” says the editor of the 
Horticultural Magazine, “is that they come dou- 
ble from single seed, or rather from seed saved 
from single ones, and that without the slightest 
reference to there being any double ones near 
them or in the same ground. Many are almost 
superstitious as to the period at which they are 
to be sown; and it has long been proved to our 
satisfaction that culture has something to do with 
it, because we have seen a packet, or rather pack- 
ets, of seed divided between two people, one pro- 
ducing nearly all double, and the other nearly all 
single. The ordinary mode of sowing ten-week 
or annual stocks is on a slight hot-bed ; and when 
they are up to give them plenty of,air, even by 
entirely removing the glasses in fine weather. 
Those who want them early in spring sow in the 
autumn ; those for summer bloom are sowed in 
spring. We have no conceit about the particu- 
lar period. Here they may be sown in March, 
April, May, and even June, and grow till they 
are large enough to plant out, giving them no 
more water than is absolutely necessary to keep 
them from flagging. When planted out, they 
should be watered in well, and then, being placed 
9 inches apart, they will only require to be kept 
clean from weeds, and grow until they flower. 
If you are choice in the purchase of your seed, 
you may, of the German stocks alone, have forty 
very distinct shades of colour. The Prussian 
stocks are not so numerous. In saving seed, 
select the single stocks with the widest petals, 
and with five petals, if you can find them, which 
is not at all uncommon; but you may as well | 
plant double brickbats as double stocks, to in- 
fluence the seed of the single ones you save from. | 
The autumn-sown stocks may be sown a month 
apart in the same way, for keeping in pots 
through the winter. All you have to do is to 
see them strong enough to plant into pots before 
the winter is too cold for them. They require 
no heat, but they are, in that young state, un- 
able to stand much frost. Plant three in a pot 
if you fear the quality, that you may be able to 
draw one or even two single ones out, should 
there be such, and take. out the weakest of them 
if they all run double. Among the best cultiva- 
tors of the biennial stocks, we have known some 
who grew them in pots for sale, and we have 
seen hundreds in frames growing well, and nearly 
all double. Of all these we have made various 
inquiries, and it was evident that while they 
were in the seed-bed they partly starved them if 
for planting out in the open ground; but, if for 
potting, they put them out rather small than 
otherwise, and starved them there; that is to 
say, they kept them all the early part of their 
