ON THE TREATMENT OF THE POLYANTHUS. O 



The stem ought to he strong, elastic, and erect, of such a height 

 that the truss may be ahove the grass or leaves of the plant. The 

 foot-stalks should be stiff, and of a proportionable length to the size 

 and quantity of the pips, and not less than five or more in number, 

 that the truss may be close and complete. The pipe, tube, or neck of 

 the petal should rise above the impalement, be short, and finish fluted 

 in the eye ; the antherse should cover the neck of the tube : this is 

 what the florists call a thrum eye. When the style perforates and 

 shows its stigma above the anthene, this is called & pin eye, from its 

 resembling a pin head. Such a flower is rejected by all modern 

 florists, let its other properties be what they may. 



The tube should be round, of a bright yellow colour, well filled 

 with anthers, bold and distinct. The eye should be round, of a bright 

 clear yellow, and distinct from the ground or body colour. The 

 ground or body colour should be a dark rich crimson, resembling 

 velvet, quite free from speck or blemish of any kind. The pips 

 should be large, and of rich and lively colours, and nearly all of one 

 size, and lie quite flat and smooth, as free as possible from ridges or 

 fluting, and as round as they well can be to preserve their peculiarly 

 beautiful figure, which is circular, excepting those small indentions 

 between each division of the limb, which divide it into five or six 

 heart-shaped segments. The edging should resemble a bright gold 

 lace, exactly the same colour as the eye, and go perfectly round 

 each petal, also down the centre of each division of the limb to the 

 eye, and the lacing or edging to be all of one breadth. 



The best period for potting plants is after blooming, which will be 

 in June, when especial care should be taken to make a good drainage. 

 The plants must be dressed, and all offsets or heads which have roots 

 should be detached. After potting, water well, that the soil may be 

 the better settled to the ruots, and place them in a shady yet airy 

 situation, and water them only when it is actually necessary, else 

 there is a probability of their perishing by the rot. They will require 

 protection during the winter months ; a frame is the best, taking care 

 to let them have the advantage of all fine weather. In March 

 you may give them the benefit of all gentle showers of rain that 

 may fall. Top dress them with a strong compost. The compost 

 generally used is cow-dung and horse-dung, very old, and a very 

 small quantity of coarse sand. If you intend to exhibit, you must 



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