THE SUMMER GARDEN 109 



wooden peg cut from the bavin of pea-sticks is 

 still, to my thinking, superior to the wire pin 

 of modern days. Carnations also must be tied 

 up neatly, or half their value will be lost in the 

 next six weeks ; and as soon as their " grass" 

 is ripe enough, the back-breaking work of 

 layering must begin. It is well to look out 

 even among that delightful and useful race 

 the Marguerite Carnation, which is treated as 

 an annual or biennial, for a sport or throw- 

 back that is worth propagating in this way. I 

 chanced some five years ago to get such a 

 plant among a dozen seedlings ; and by layer- 

 ing every shoot I secured a good stock of what 

 has proved to be a true and most valuable 

 Carnation, bearing sheaves of peculiarly lovely 

 flame-pink flowers on long stalks in great 

 abundance. The old Crimson Clove grows 

 better in my garden from cuttings than from 

 layers : but this is probably a mere local excep- 

 tion. The admirable yellow-self, Germania, 

 layers with great ease ; and its strong constitu- 

 tion makes it most valuable in the herbaceous 

 border, where a line of Carnations of many sorts 



