g() ON THE CULTURE OF THE PINK. 



inches apart. In the middle of September I generally begin to make 

 up my bed for blooming, having it four feet wide with border boards 

 abo\e the level, I take out one spit of earth from end to end, replacing it 

 with a layer of horse or cow-dung quite rotten four or five inches 

 thick al) over the bed, I then cover it with about six inches of earth, 

 keeping it three inches higher in the centre, gradually sloping to the 

 edge, after which 1 mark out the bed and plant the pinks seven inches 

 apart : about the latter end of March 1 top dress them with some old 

 rotten horse-dung worked into the 'mould with a small fork between 

 each plant: in the begining of May they will spindle up for bloom, I 

 then take off all the side shoots that show for bloom, not having more 

 than two of the main stems to bloom, and in many cases not more than 

 one, and also all the side shoots that show for bloom, leaving only the 

 main pod to bloom: about the latter end of the month many of the pods 

 will be<nn to open, care must then be taken to keep the pods from 

 bursting, to prevent which, they should be tied with a piece of soft bass 

 matting round the middle of the pod in a light knot, and should they 

 be inclined to run down on one side, they should be eased on the op- 

 posite side down to the bass, which will give freedom to the petals to 

 expand equally, and when they begin to drop their guard leaves, cards 

 should be placed on them, laying the guard leaves even and round to 

 allow the others to fall in regular succession, then the shade should be 

 placed over them from the sun. 



1 now beg to make some remarks from what has fallen from the pen 

 of the Practical Gardener, relative to the raising of pinks from seed which 

 he states is the first principle of all vegetables, so far I admit he is 

 correct, I wish I could say so in other respects. He observes you should 

 always have a good stock of pink seed — but I should like to know how 

 it is to be obtained ; there has been many seasons that I have not been 

 able to get as much seed from one thousand five hundred plants, as 

 would raise one dozen, it is true some seasons are more favourable 

 than others, and a greater quantity of seed may be obtained, and there 

 are many sorts that 1 have not been able to save a single pod in the pe- 

 riod of twenty years. 



The Practical Gardener also recommends the laying ofpinhs, I would 

 ask what person of any experience, or practice in piping, would attempt 

 so tedious a method as laying, as piping of any description is better than 

 layers, and it is my decided opinio'.) that if carnations and picctoees 

 would strike as free as pinks, very few florists would lay either. 



The lime I wou'd recommend for the sowing of pink seed, is the 

 latter end of March, or the begining of April, which 1 perform in the 



