196 breck's new book op floaa^eijs. 



The flowering period of these plants may be prolonged 

 beyond the winter by retaining the terminal, or upper 

 growth, but to ensure a fine early autumn or winter 

 bloom, the upper growth should be shortened or pruned 

 back (where requisite), in the spring or early summer 

 months, and the plants placed in a cool, airy green-liouse, 

 or cool east or south pit throughout the summer, to ma- 

 ture the requisite vigor of growth for bloom. During the 

 warm summer months, the plants should not be placed in 

 any position where a free ventilation of air cannot be af- 

 forded by day and night ; and wiien the requisite growth 

 is obtained, they may be exposed in the open air until au- 

 tumn, with the usual daily attention given to plants in 

 pots. 



D. hort^nsis. — Garden Pink. — This species is in perfec- 

 tion about the last of June. The foliage is more grass- 

 like, and the plant much hardier, than the Carnation. 

 The double varieties are very desirable, not only for their 

 beauty, but also for their fragrance. They may be prop- 

 agated by dividing the roots, by layers, and by pipings. 

 The surest mode of propagation is by layers, but piping 

 is generally resorted to for Pinks. These are shoots cut 

 from the plant at the second or third joint, according as 

 they are more or less woody or juicy, and inserted, close 

 to each other, in a bed of well pulverized proper compost; 

 w^ater moderately, so that the earth may adhere closely 

 about the shoots ; when the moisture has somewhat 

 evaporated from the leaves, cover them up with a hand 

 glass, which must be forced a little depth into the ground 

 so as to confine the air. This need hardly be removed 

 until the plants have taken root ; they must be shaded, 

 liowever, the first fourteen days, with mats over the glas- 

 ses, when the sun is very hot. If properly managed, not 

 one in twenty will miss, and between one and two hun- 

 dred may ]>e planted under one glass ; in a month or six 



