CARYOPHYLLACE.^. 6/ 



mer," aids in various ways, in nearly every garden, to bring 

 about the beautiful combinations of colour that are now no- 

 thing new, but ever pleasing when accomplished with taste. 

 The family, though a large one, contains many mere weeds 

 unworthy of cultivation, and only two species may be con- 

 sidered admissible into select collections of herbaceous plants, 

 or into flower-gardens. Those two are adapted to grow in 

 almost any ordinarily-good garden soil, succeeding best in that 

 which is rich, light, and comparatively dry, but hardly refusing 

 to grow in the opposite extreme within certain limits; they 

 suffer, however, most in winter from this evil. Propagate by 

 division and seeds and cuttings, as in the Sandworts, and all 

 with the least possible trouble or difliculty- For rockwork, for 

 edgings everywhere, and for masses or carpetings, in associa- 

 tion with others in contrast, these are fit plants, and ever beau- 

 tiful and pleasant to look upon. 



C. Biebersteinii {Bieber stem's Mouse-car Chickiveed). — This 

 differs from the Woolly C. in its larger size of plant and leaf, 

 and in being more green-grey, and consequently less effective 

 as a massing plant. Individually, it is a bolder plant than the 

 other, and this renders it perhaps more fit for occupying a dis- 

 tinguished place in mixed borders and on rockwork. The 

 flowers are, like those of the Woolly C, white ; but when the 

 foliage is the object in culture, it is well to cut them away be- 

 times, as their development is made at some expense of leaf, 

 and the plant remains long seedy after the very brief but usu- 

 ally abundant blooming period. Native of the mountains of 

 Tauria. 



C. tomentosum ( Woolly Motise-ear Chickweed). — This plant, 

 so well known and universally cultivated, needs no recommen- 

 dation here ; it has already established itself as an indispen- 

 sable adjunct in garden embellishment so long as bedding-out 

 continues the fashion. Its use in the mixed border or rock- 

 vv'ork would necessarily be limited in establishments where 

 these exist along with the massing or bedding- out method ; 

 but even then sparingly used as a contrast in front lines of 

 borders and on rockwork, its effect will be found sometimes 

 desirable. Native of the south of Europe. 



Dianthus {Pink). — Besides the species which have given 

 origin to the florists' varieties of the Pink and Carnation, this 

 family comprises a considerable number of members less illus- 

 trious than these, but very beautiful and worthy of general cul- 

 tivation among mixed herbaceous and rock plants. Very few 

 of these are cultivated except in botanic gardens in this coun- 

 try at the present time. There are not so many of the florists' 



