496 THE PLEASURE GARDEN. [maY. 



ing of auricula plants be an object, they should be 

 fresh earthed at top, whenever they begin to put 

 out radicals on the surflice, which is generally a- 

 bout the time the flowers begin to fade. In doing 

 this, observe the directions for fresh earthing in 

 March ; and bank it well up to the stems of the 

 plants, that the slips may the better push fibres in- 

 to it ; at the same time dressing off a few of the 

 bottom leaves, and any that are decayed. 



Carnations and fine Pinks, 



Carnations and pinks, either in pots, or in the 

 open ground, must be duly attended to with water 

 in dry weather ; watering those in pots generally 

 once a day, and those in the ground once in two 

 or three days, according to the state of the wea- 

 ther. If the surface of the earth in the pots be 

 anywise hard, or incrusted, let it be stirred often, 

 as already noticed. 



If those in pots were placed in a situation shaded 

 from the mid-day sun, (not, however, in a north 

 aspect), their flower-stalks would shoot slower, but 

 stronger, in consequence. These must be support- 

 ed to neat sticks as they advance; and if you would 

 have few flowers, and large, rather than many, and 

 middle-sized, cut oflT all but the uppermost flower- 

 buds, as they appear. At any rate, in order to 

 have carnations and pinks flower in tolerable per- 

 fection, more than two or three buds should not be 

 allowed to remain on one stalk ; that is, tlie upper- 

 inost, and one on each side at most. 



