The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-16
I TO GROW HOLLYHOCKS
One of the Best Known of Perennial Plants, An Old
 Favorite.
(By Garrett M. Stack. Brookfield
 Center, in Danbury News,)

 best known of perennial splants; and is an old-fashioned favorite, full of beauty and dignity. In former days they were the principal midsummer flowers in grandmother's garden, showing their stately flower stalks above the garden wall. At the present time they are not found in many gar 2, dens;. a, few gardeners refuse to plant tn hem, because the dreaded disease, known as the rust blight, either renders the plants unsightly, or kills them at the end of single season It, is a. pity that a dire disease should rob so useful a flower as the holly hook of it's place in the garden, when by giving the plants attention in re- gard to spraying they would live and reward the grower with the most beautiful blossoms of the garden at their season. If the flowers of holly hooks were inconspicuous, and other perennials were at hand to take their place, it would be fal1acy to grow them; but possessing the character istics not found in all perennial plants--a plant of strong and vigor- ous growth, stately appearance and most decorative nature. they should not be omitted or disregarded.
 Ho1lyhocks are hardy perennia1s, and if they escape the disease, they will come up each year from the When once planted and well cared for, they will be found a perennial hard to substitute; and can be relied upon to give beautiful effects in their season.
 The season of blossoming com
 mences in July and extends way into
 September. The flowers appear as the stalks grow; when the last ter mina1 blossom has fallen the lower seen pods are ripened. The place l where hoIlyhocks can be used to ad- 1 vantage covers as wide a range as does it's variety in color of flowers They may be used as specimens to stand ! out. separately; planted as backgroundr in the garden; used i against the plantings of the smaller 1 perenniaIs around the house; and found useful in most any situation where a tall plant is desired to hide I unsightly objects, or to screen dis agreeable fences-they are much to I be preferred to Foxg1oves or Del l phiniums for this purpose, because I they are taller in growth, blossom over a longer period of time and have I a greater variety of color in flowers.
 The coloring of the flowers range l from purest whites and darkest reds | ors of most every conceivable shade of yellow and pink The ranke in l type of blossoms is also remarkable; the double forms resemble rosettes; | the fringed and semi double kinds have the largest blossoms and re-
 semble petunias; while the plain, single blossoms are always admirable. I Before the disease became prevail ent hollyhocks were in existence in many gardens; in large collections of ! named varieties; andN at that time they were considered among the more j important garden flowers, but of late
 years they are not mentioned in seed catalogues in named varieties. If
 new kinds are desired, it is necessary
 to propagate them from seed. The
 surest results are obtained by rais-
 ing them from seed selected from
 good varieties, where they are grown
 in sufficient quantities to warrant
 trueness in color.
 We attribute our success in grow
 ing them to careful seed selection. I Seed should be selected from the
 flowers borne on the middle of the
 stalk, where they are generally closer
 together and of larger size. Good
 seedlings cannot be obtained from i5flowers lacking size small flower
 stalks. In order to keep them true
 to color, it is necessary to hand-pol- llenate the flowers desired for seed,
 especially if there is more than one variety present in the garden. The
 selected flowers are secured from
 promiscuous crossing by bees, by
 tying paper bags over them after they
 have been fertiIized. If this is not accomplished, there will be variety
 of colors; and the races of holIyhocks A following from the seed will gradual
 1y dwfndle into the common co1ors Il the special colors cannot always be
 kept as desired. It is not necessary I to keep the flower stalk standing Ions
 after the last flower has fallen, be.
 cause the seed ripens quickly wher
 selected from the lower portion of the 2 stalk and 1t will be ripe before tht . last flowers. blossom.
 ' If seeds are planted in May they : will blossom the following year: bu q it takes two years to develop the bes land largest flowers from seedlings. I n is from the older plants that seed :. should be selected. Fall planting il S only advisable in places where tn, t seedlings can be protected more ad s vantageously, because they will hay, = a chance to make a much longe }, root, and enough leaves to give then e a natural mulch for winter. The seed n 1ings should be kept growing vigor e ously from seeding until they ar e ready to transplant Ordinary gar a den soil to which has been added 1t some Nitrate of Soda will induce # larger growth the first year.
 2 After the plants are 8 year old the. l. are ready to transplant into their per = nanent place. They should not b dsf planted closer than foot apart, an, 1t an allowance made of two feet be o | tween groups. Planting should b x done in spring, immediately after tn ,s frost is out of the ground, so that tn y plants will start with the season. Tn $ hoIIyhock develops a tap root, nearl
 as large as a, parsnip, and in plantin
 l them, the roots should be left intact e this necessitates the removal of tn a plants, carefully from the seed beo
 digging a hole large enough to ac . commodate the root, so that the 'f may grow in a natural position. le Spraying is an insurance. Gu e plants are sprayed as soon as the sec
 ond set of leaves are formed. Tn
 blight is not very troublesome whel l. the plants are small. If possible -e is better to keep the plants protecte le from disease at the start; in order t al do this, they should be covered wit is spray material at all times, becaus