220 ON THE CULTURE OF CARNATIONS. 



becoming brown, and the seeds nearly black. This must be 

 attended to, for if gathered too soon, by far the greater part will 

 be unproductive. Take care to extract the petals as they wither, 

 for, if left in, they are apt to imbibe and retain the wet, and thus 

 rot the base of the seed-vessel, and render it abortive. When the 

 seed is gathered, allow it to remain in the capsule till the middle 

 of the following May. Fill some pots, or pans, with the compost 

 in which the plants are recommended to be potted ; lay on a little 

 fine-sifted soil, just sufficient to cover the seeds ; place the pans in 

 an airy part of the garden, keep the soil moderately moist, and 

 shade from sun and dashing rains. When the plants are three 

 inches high, and have six leaves, plant them on a bed of rich 

 mould, composed of good loam and rotten dung, in equal parts. 

 Plant them in rows, ten inches apart in the row, and twelve from 

 row to row. Shelter them with hoops from the effects of rain or 

 frost. 



Composts. — For the strong and high-coloured Bizarres and Pi- 

 cotees, take two barrowfuls of light rich maiden loam, one of old 

 cucumber-bed dung, and half a barrowful of river sand. For the 

 rose and purple Flakes, and delicate Picotees, take two barrowfuls 

 of good rich loam, and two at least of well-rotted dung, and half 

 a one of river sand. Mix these well together in the autumn, and 

 turn it two or three times during the winter ; but never pot in 

 sifted soil. The pots should be 12 inches deep, and 10 wide, with 

 a good hole in the bottom, and three or four small ones round the 

 sides. Pot in the middle of March, putting three plants in each 

 pot. In June give the plants a top-dressing of leaf-mould and 

 sheep-dung, which will give them a healthy appearance, enable 

 them to grow much stronger, and give a greater richness to their 

 colours. 



Layering. — As soon as the flowers have turned their height of 

 perfection, the plants should be layered. Prepare a quantity of 

 hooked pegs, and light soil composed of sandy loam and leaf- 

 mould. Cut off the lower leaves of the plants ; stir up the old 

 earth in the pots, and fill up with the above soil not sifted ; then 

 make an incision with a sharp penknife, entering about a quarter 

 of an inch below a joint, and passing the blade of the knife up 

 through the centre of it ; continue to one-half or three-quarters of 

 an inch above it. The portion of the stem left below the bottom 



