140 GARDEN FLOWERS. 



be split up half an inch above the joint, the sloping piece 

 below the joint being cut off even. The half-joint thus sep- 

 arated, will, when pegged down, send forth roots. These 

 layers, as they are called, may be all cut off in September, 

 and potted in four-inch pots, two in a pot, with nothing but 

 clean good loam from rotted turfs, no dung. In February, 

 prepare rich mould to bloom them in, — half loam from 

 rotted turfs, a fourth decomposed dung, and the other 

 fourth turfy peat and silver, or other very clean sand, mixed 

 well and left in a heap. In the beginning of April, get 

 t^velve-inch pots ; fill one-third with sherds of broken pots, 

 then a third of the proper soil, then turn out the ball of earth 

 with the pair of plants in it ; and, having placed it in the 

 middle at the proper depth, fill up all round, press the soil 

 to the ball of earth, and after adjusting it properl}^, and fill- 

 ing up to within half-an-inch of the top edge, place the pot 

 on a dry hard flooring, the object being twofold, — to pre- 

 vent worms entering at the bottom hole and disarranging 

 the soil, and to keep this hole, which is essential for drain- 

 age, from getting filled up, or in any way stopped, to prevent 

 the egress of whatever superfluous water may reach the soil. 

 Go through the whole in this way, and then water freely, 

 taking all possible precaution to prevent vermin from get- 

 ting to the pots : one plan is to raise shelves, with their 

 supports standing in pans of water. When the stems rise 

 for bloom, treat them in the same way as Pinks, in every 

 respect, even to the flowering. The Carnation differs from 

 the Picotee only in the disposition of the coloring ; the Car- 

 nation is striped or ribboned outwards, the Picotee is edged 

 or feathered inwards. It is a prevalent practice to put cards 

 on the buds of the flowers, that the petals may be displayed 

 on them as they open. For a list of the best varieties of 

 these flowers, see the latest trade-lists. 



