DOUBLE WALLFLOWERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20312, 21 January 1928, Page 3

DOUBLE WALLFLOWERS.

Among old-fashioned floweit, double wallflowers enjoyed widespread popularity among the florists of ’as* century, but, like so many flowers •which were grown for points ot perfection in the individual flower, and were propogated from cuttings for the purpose of keeping stock true, the old type of double wallflower developed somewhat of a weakly constitution, and gradually they became scarce until they almost disappeared ’rom cultivation. Those of us who have a keen affection for the real florists’ flowers have regretted the eclipse of the double wallflower, out fashions have changed, and the greater number of garden owners have of late years been content with the singles, which are so readily raised from seed. I suppose it would not be far wrong to say that a large proportion of present-day amateur gardeners have never grown, or perhaps ever seen, a good batch of doubleflowered varieties. Great interest, therefore, centred in a remarkably fine exhibit of those flowers staged at the Horticultural Hall by Messrs Sutton and Sons last year. A notable feature of this strain is the fact that the plants are quite easily raised from seed and produce an xceedingly good proportion of fine, per-fectly-formed flowers. Amateurs will oe well advised to purchase fresh seed annually, because maintenance of this standard of quality calls for rigorous -e----selection and skilful handling, and homesaved seed will very soon deteriorate into stock of varied habit and poor forms and colours. Now is a good time to row seed. The plants are quite hardy, and must not be coddled or subjected to artificial heat. Give ventilation at all times, but water very sparingly in winter. The soil these plants prefer is a strong loam with sufficient frrit and lime rubble to keep it open. Manure is not required, but the plants should be fed with liquid when the flowering pots are nicely filled with roots. Outdoors these doubles may be treated precisely like the singleflowered wallflowers. —" Old Florist,” in Amateur Gardening.