92 GLENNYS HANDBOOK 



of losing any of them. In cutting these stems the knife 

 should go in slanting just under a joint (about the third joint 

 from the top), and when nearly half through they should be 

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

 the joint being cut off evenly. The half-joint thus separated 

 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 turves — no dung. In February prepare 

 rich mould to bloom them in : half loam from rotted turves, 

 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 twelve-inch pots ; fill 

 one-third with shreds of broken pots, then a third of the 

 proper soil, then turn out the ball of earth \^dth 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 properly, and filling up to within half an 

 inch of the top edge, place the pot on a dry hard flooring, the 

 object being twofold — to prevent worms entering at the bottom 

 hole and disarranging the soil, and to keep this hole, which 

 is essential for drainage, from getting filled up, or in any way 

 stopped, to prevent the egress of w^hatever 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 getting 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 colouring — 

 the Carnation 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 dis- 

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

 of these flowers see the latest trade lists. 



SwEETwiLFJAM (D. bavbatus). — This hardy perennial is best 

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

 in the case of distinct and particularly handsome varieties, 

 which can only be increased by propagating from the shoots 

 produced from the root, and which may be either treated as 



