177 



The seed for the culture of these plants should be collected, when 

 perfectly ripened, from the best and most perfect flowers which have 

 grown at a distance from any bad or inferior plants, and be kept in 

 a dry situation. 



Culture in the Gillijlower or Carnation Kind. These plants may be 

 raised with facility in the beds or borders of pleasure-grounds or gar- 

 dens where the soil is moderately light and dry; but in order to have' 

 them in the greatest superiority and perfection, it is the practice of 

 florists to employ a compost prepared by mixing the surface vege- 

 table mould of old pastures with well rotted stable-dung from old 

 hot-beds, or neat's dung in the same stale and sea-sand, in the pro- 

 portion of a third of the former and a fourth of the latter. These ma- 

 terials should be well blended, and lie for a considerable length of 

 time, being frequently turned before they are made use of. This 

 mould may be employed both for filling the pots with and for form- 

 ing the beds; and in preparing it for these purposes it should not 

 be sifted fine, but merely well broken down and reduced by the 

 spade. 



These flowers may be increased and new ones produced by seeds, 

 which should be sown on beds formed of the above compost, or on 

 the common borders of light fine mould, from about the middle of 

 March to the same period in the following month, raking it in evenly 

 to the depth of a quarter of an inch, giving slight waterings when 

 necessary, to promote their vegetation. The fine sorts are likewise 

 often sown in pots or boxes, in order that they may be readily placed 

 so as to have only the morning sun when the season is hot and 

 dry. 



After the plants are come up they should be kept clear from 

 weeds, and be watered occasionally, and about July, when the wea- 

 ther is moist, be taken up and pricked out in nursery-rows on beds 

 three feet in width, setting them six inches distant, and watering 

 them well at the lime and afterwards till they have taken fresh 

 root. 



At the beginning of autumn, as about September, they will havf 



2 A 



