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than those that have been in cultivation 

 for a length of time. 



" It is not usual for carnations and 

 pinks to bloom the first season. When 

 the seed is sown early, flower-stems 



The method of performing the work 

 is as follows: — First provide a quan- 

 tity of small hooked sticks, three or 

 four inches long, with which to peg 

 the layers down, also in a barrow 



are occasionally thrown up late in the i quantity of light rich mould to raise tive 



autumn, and all destroyed by frost. 

 Gard. Chron. 



The plants generally come up in a 

 month after sowing ; give occasional 

 watering and weeding, and in July they 

 will be fit to prick out into nursery beds, 

 which prepare in an open situation, ; 



earth, if required, around each plant; 

 and provide also a sharp penknife. 

 Having all these ready, then proceed 

 to the work of layering : first, strip oHT 

 all the leaves from the body of the 

 shoots, and shorten those at the top an 

 nch or two evenly; and then, fixing 



three feet wide ; and taking advantage j upon a strong joint about the middle of 

 of moist weather, prick the plants there- the shoot, and on its under side, cut 

 in four inches apart, and finish with a j the joint half way through, directing 

 general watering, which repeat occa- your knife upward, so as to slit the 

 sionally till all the plants have taken shoot up the middle almost to the next 

 good root. Here let them remain till 

 September, — when they will be so well 

 advanced in growth as to require more 

 room ; and should have their final trans- 

 plantation into other three-feet-wide 

 beds of good earth, in rows lengthways 

 the bed, nine inches asunder, and the 

 same distance in the lines, placing them 

 in the quincunx order; and here they are 

 to remain all the winter, and until they 

 flower, and have been increased by 

 layers ; until which periods all the cul- 

 ture they require is, that if the winter 

 prove very severe, an occasional shel- 

 ter of mats, during the hardest frost, 

 will be of much advantage , and in 

 spring, loosen the ground between them 

 with a hoe. Keep them always clear 

 from weeds, and when their flower- 

 stalks advance, tie them up to sticks. 

 They will flower in June, July, and 

 August, at which times, as soon as the 

 singles and doubles are distinguishable, 

 all the singles may be rejected. 



When fully blown, examine their pro- 

 perties ; the finest may be marked for 

 stage flowers, and the others are furni- 

 ture for the borders ; all of which may 

 be increased by layers the same year 



joint above ; of which joint the thin 

 skinny part must be trimmed off, for 

 the layers always form their root at 

 that part. This done, loosen the earth 

 around the plant, and, if necessary, add 

 some fresh mould to raise it for the 

 more ready reception of the layers ; 

 then with your finger make a hollow or 

 drill in the earth to receive the layer, 

 which bend gently down horizontally in 

 the opening, raising the top upright, so 

 as to keep the gash, or slit part of the 

 layer, open, and with one of the hooked 

 sticks peg down the body of the layer 

 to secure it in its proper place and po- 

 sition, still preserving the top erect and 

 the slit open, and draw the earth over 

 it an inch or two, bringing it close about 

 the erect part of the shoot ; and when 

 all the shoots of each plant are thus 

 layered, give some water to settle the 

 earth close, repeating the waterings 

 often in dry weather; and in five or six 

 weeks the layers will have formed good 

 roots, when they should be separated 

 with a knife from the old plants, and 

 planted in beds or pots^ 



Taking off and transplanting the 

 Layers. — The layers are generally well 



Propagation by Layers. — The proper rooted in six weeks after layering, vvhich 



parts lor layers are those leafy shoots 

 arising near the crown of the root, 

 which, when about five inches long, are 

 of a proper degree of growth. 



The general season tor this work is 

 Jurie, July, and beginning of August, 

 and the sooner it is done after the shoots 

 are ready the better, that they may 

 have sufficient time to acquire strength 

 before winter. Those layered in June 

 and July will be fit to take off in Au- 

 gust and September. 



you will observe by opening the earth a 

 little, and examining the bottom, or 

 root part; and if it has emitted plenty 

 of fibres, they should be taken off, and 

 planted out. 



They must be cut, or separated with 

 a knife from the old plant, gently rais- 

 ing them out of the earth with the point 

 of a trowel, to preserve the fibres, or 

 roots of the layers; and when thus taken 

 up, cut off the naked sticky part at bot- 

 tom close to the root, and trim the tops 



