14 ON THE CULTURE OF PINKS. 



But, if we make use of the pots of earth, or of wood, we must fill 

 the bottom of them with a good kitchen-garden earth well sifted, and 

 Jay over it at least an inch thick of mould ; this mixture pleases not 

 some, who have written on this subject: but experience having more 

 fully convinced me than all their empty discourses, I pretend to lay 

 it clown as an infallible rule. 



The pots and garden-plots, where you intend to sow your pink- 

 seed, being ordered in this manner, you may scatter it thinly over 

 them, or sow it in rows drawn by the line, I mean as to the bed ; 

 for, as to that you sow in pots, it must always be sowed scatteringly, 

 and never in rows. When this seed is sown, take care to cover it 

 forthwith, either with a rake, or with your hand. 



Having done this, water it immediately to the end of the mould, 

 which is naturally light, may cleave the closer to it, better cherish 

 the burg«on, and make it sooner take the requisite dispositions to 

 become a plant of its kind. In order to the obliging it to do this, 

 likewise take care to sow the seed in places exposed to the sun, and 

 to carry the pots where you have sown any into such places also. 



You should always have a good stock of pink-seed, that you may 

 sow a great deal of it : For, a true florist should never give himself 

 this trouble, but with a design to have some that are worth his rais- 

 ing : and it often happens, that among a thousand plants we have 

 scarce three or four that are worth our care, though indeed we have 

 sometimes more. When these plants are come up, they require to 

 be frequently watered. 



The Pinks sown in this manner, being come to a growth fit for 

 planting, we prepare beds for them ; along which, we draw drills by 

 the line, four inches distance from one another; and observe the 

 same in planting the Pinks. 



The usual season to plant Pinks from the seed, is always about the 

 •^nd of March, or the beginning of April ; and the Pinks thus put in 

 the ground, grow till the next year without producing any flowers: 

 but, after they have weathered out the winter in this condition, pro- 

 vided we have taken care to protect them from the severity of the 

 frosts, by covering them with straw, we see them pullulate, and 

 shoot forth slips from the foot ; and from the midst of most of those 

 slips, rise some stalks that bear flowers, and others that serve only 

 for layers. 



As soon as we have planted our Pinks from the seed, we take care 

 to cover them in the day-time, with screens of straw laid ridge- wise 

 over thenn, or rath some piece of cloth stretched out over them in the 

 san_e manner; to hinder the heat of the sun from coming too soon to 



