GARDEN FLOWERS. 14! 



Sweetwilliam ( D. barbatus). — This hardy perennial is 

 best treated as a biennial, and raised annually from seeds, 

 except in the case of distinct and particularly handsome va- 

 rieties, which can only be increased by propagating from the 

 shoots produced from the root, and which may be either 

 treated as cuttings or layers. The seeds should be sown in 

 June in a bed of light open soil ; and, when the seedlings 

 have formed a pair or two of leaves, they may be pricked 

 out three inches apart on a bed of light rich earth, in which 

 they may grow till autumn, and will gain strength for flower- 

 ing. In September or early in October, remove them with 

 good balls of earth to the borders or beds where they are 

 to flower. For beds, this should be done annually ; the old 

 roots being either destroyed after seed is secured, or trans- 

 planted to the borders, or, in the case of new and striking 

 varieties, removed and carefully propagated. In borders, 

 the old roots, if vigorous enough, may be left to bloom 

 again. Young plants reared from cuttings or layers may be 

 treated exactly like seedlings. The best soil for the bloom- 

 ing plants is a sandy loam well manured with decayed leaf 

 mould and stable-dung. The varieties of different colors of 

 Sweetwilliam are now numerous ; but they are hardly ad- 

 vanced enough for selection by name. 



D. arboreiis (tree) ; half-hardy evergreen sub-shrub ; 2 feet ; 

 flowers pink, in July ; Greece ; 1820. D. arbjisctila (small 

 tree) ; half-hardy evergreen sub-shrub ; 18 inches ; flowers red, 

 in July; China; 1824. D. barbatus (Sweet\villiam) ; hardy 

 perennial; 18 inches; flowers various, in July; Germany; 

 1573. D. caryophylms (clove-pink); hardy perennial ; 2 feet ; 

 flowers flesh-color, in June; England D. Chinensis (Indian 

 pink) ; half-hardy biennial ; I foot : flowers various, in July ; 

 China; 1713. D. Heddewigii is a gigantic form of D. Chinejt- 

 i-zj-, introduced from Japan in 1859. D. fruticosus (shrubby); 

 half-hardy evergreen sub-shrub ; 3 feet ; flowers pink, in July ; 



