D I A 



D I A 



Jill* beginning of March or the following month. 

 The work is pcrfornieti by closing the holes in 

 she bottoms of the pots with pieces of oyster 

 .-hells or liks, then filling thcin half way up 

 with the canli prepared as above, placing the 

 plants with ihcir balls of earth in them, and 

 tilling up '.he vacancies on the sides with ni<ire 

 fresh mould, closing it well up about the bodies 

 of the plants so as they n)ay stand nearly as 

 high as the tops of the pots, giving a good wa- 

 terinii: at the time. 



When the plants have been thus potted they 

 should be placeil in a sl'.eltered sunny situation 

 in the ojien air, being frequently refreshed with 

 water in hot dry weather. 



It is the practice with some florists to plant 

 two flowers in a large pot ; but it is better as 

 well as more convenient for layering only to 

 have one, the plants flowering stronger and 

 making more free shoots. 



In the summer treatment of the flowers the 

 C3re of frequent watering should be continued 

 when the weather is hot and droughty, and the 

 surface mould be occasionally stirred to promote 

 the grow th and preserve neatness ; and whea 

 the flow er-stalks are a liitle advanced, handsome 

 painted sticks should be placed for their support 

 both in the pots and other situations, to which 

 they should be neatly lied as they proceed in 

 their growth. When they approach the period 

 of flowerinir, the curious sorts should be re- 

 moved to a stasje constructed for the purpose, 

 and provided wTih an awning to protect them 

 from being injured by the scorching heat of the 

 sun in the middle of the day, and the effects of 

 too much wet, by which they are continued 

 much longer in bea\ity. 



Stages of this nature arc formed in diflTerent 

 methods, according to the fancy of the persons 

 who make use of them. The following is a 

 neat mode of constructing such apparatus : a 

 platform is erected at the height of eighteen 

 inches r)r two feet, constituted of two ranges of 

 planks, in order to contain two rows of pots, 

 sustained by posts in one or two rows under- 

 neath with an open-work roof five or six feet in 

 height, covered by means of painted canvass, or 

 some other suitable material, the whole being 

 supported by upright posts, according to the 

 taste of the proprietor. 



The bodv of the stage should be neatly paint- 

 ed for the purpose of tfi'eet as « ell as preser- 

 vation. 



Instead of the«c stages some make use of a 

 sort of caps or uiiibrellas formed of tin or other 

 materials, supported on stems or sticks, one for 

 each plant; but these arc neither so convenient 

 nor alf<jrd so good an effect as the fonner in di- 

 splaying the beauties of the flowers. 



But whatever contrivances arc made use of for 

 the protectic.n and display of these cuuous 

 f.owers, the tying of the plants to the support- 

 stieko should be continued as the steiTis advance; 

 and some curious florists con", rive to keep them 

 erect at the tops by the use of tine wire or other 

 similar means. And in order to procure the 

 flowers as large and fine as possible, ihey trim off 

 all the sidc-ahoots from the steit s, leaving only 

 one or two of the top flower-buds to expand. 

 When the flowers begin to open, care should be 

 taken to prevent their bursting and expanding in 

 an irregular manner, especially in the hnrslcrs, by 

 makino- a little opcningor two in the indenting? at 

 thetopatequal distances inother places, by means 

 of fine small pointed scissars. The regular ex- 

 pansion of the flowers may likewise be much as- 

 sisted, especially where one side is more ex- 

 panded than the other, and they are in pots, by 

 turning the pots, that the contrary sides may 

 have the full influence of the sun. 



.Some florists likew ise, to blow the ciu-ious sorts 

 as broad and tine as possible, make use of a kind 

 of spreadincr, stifl", white paper collar, cut open 

 on one side and placed round the bottoms of the 

 flowers to expand the petals upon to the utmost 

 extent ; but the practice is not in general ad- 

 visable. 



As these plants flower less perfectly as they 

 increase in age, it is proper to provide I'resh sup- 

 plies of new varieties of them annually by sow- 

 ino- seed obtained from the best sorts in the 

 spring season, as directed above, and likewise to 

 continue the most valuable double varieties by 

 means of layering in the summer months every 

 year, or the planting of cuttings or pipings, but 

 the first is by much the best mode. 



In order to have good seed, some plants of the 

 best and most curious sorts should be preserved 

 distinct, and suffered to flower and ripen their 

 seed in a perfect maimer, which should then be 

 taken off in the pods when the weather is dry, 

 and, after being hardened a little, rubbed out and 

 put up in a bag to be placed in a dry situation. 



Culture in "the Pink Kind. — All the species 

 and varieties of these plants may be increased 

 from seeds, and the perennial sorts likewise by 

 layers, slips, cuttings, and pipings. 



Where the best sorts only are grown, great care 

 should be taken, in providing the seed, ;hat it be 

 alw ays had from the best and most peri'ect kinds. 

 It should be sown in the manner directed for 

 Carnations, in the beginning of March or the 

 following month, and the plants be managed in 

 a similar manner, only, as being more hardy in 

 their nature, with less tenderness. 



The sixth species is best increased by sowing 

 the seed on a very gentle hot-bed the beginn.ng 

 of April, as the vegetation is thereby much for- 



