118 ON THE CARNATION. 



will be long enough to insert in small pots placed close to the stem. 

 After having got all the shoots down, and slightly covered with soil, 

 I place smooth flat stones, about the size of a halfpenny, as near as 

 possible over the cut of each layer. This stone not only prevents the 

 soil being washed away from that particular part, but I feel convinced 

 it very much accelerates the rooting ; for let the weather be hot, and 

 the soil in other parts of the. pot dry, if you examine beneath these 

 stones, a genial moisture will be perceived, yet the pebbles contract 

 heat, which they slowly give out, much to the benefit of the layers. 

 I must here notice the operation of piping, and though the Carnation 

 is much more difficult to root than the Pink, yet I have adopted it 

 with tolerable success; the great matter is to do them early, for they 

 require plenty of time. I insert them in a light soil, under a north- 

 east wall, and having watered to settle the soil about them, when per- 

 fectly dry, they are covered with a hand-glass ; they sometimes 

 require a slight shade ; this is accomplished by putting a little soil 

 on the top of each glass, but I do not remove the glass till I see they 

 are establishing themselves, unless any damp off, in that case they 

 are taken away. The worms will sometimes prove injurious, both 

 to the pipings and to the layers; when they are perceived, a little 

 water in which hot lime has been slaked will destroy them if poured 

 over their holes. The layers must be constantly watched, and soil 

 added now and then, but it must be with a sparing hand ; they may 

 be watered most evenings in hot weather, but it should be with water 

 which has been exposed to the action of the sun during the day ; and 

 but little other attention will be required till they are ready to take off. 



Before concluding, some little notice must be taken of the seed- 

 As the flowers begin to fade, it is necessary to remove the withered 

 petals ; this should be done without injuring the pointals or female 

 organs of the flower, which are like two small horns ; for if allowed to 

 remain they often contract dampness, which is fatal to the embryo 

 seed. It is also a good plan to slit down the pod in order to prevent 

 any lodgment of water. 



When the pods are full ripe they may be gathered, and the seed 

 should remain in them till the following spring, and about the latter 

 end of April may be rubbed out, and sown in shallow pans or on a 

 bed, covering them slightly with soil ; they may remain here till they 

 are about three inches high, when they may be planted out on a 



