THE PICOTEE AND CARNATION. 55 



season be dry or wet. Let each pot have a stake in the centre to which 

 the plants may be closely tied as they rise up for bloom. When they show 

 their buds remove all but three, and the flowers will be the finer, and not more 

 than one blooming shoot may be left on each plant. When the buds have 

 swollen and are about to burst, tie a piece of bass matting round the mid- 

 dle, and carefully open the calyx down to the tie, at all the divisions, as the 

 flower can then open all around alike, otherwise they frequently burst on 

 one side, and it is then difficult to form an even flower. As the petals 

 develop themselves they should be shaded from the sun and rain — either of 

 which would damage the flowers. Culture in pots is seldom resorted to in 

 this country, unless it be for exhibition purposes, and it is for the benefit of 

 amateurs, who wish to grow them for that purpose, that we have given such 

 minute directions. 



Culture in Beds and the Flower Border. — This is the most common 

 method in this country, culture in pots being attended with more trouble, 

 and occupying more time, than can usually be given. 



They succeed admirably in any good garden loam, provided it is well 

 drained ; wet or moisture when over abundant is very injurious. The soil 

 should be trenched to the depth of eighteen inches in the fall, enriching it 

 at same time with leaf mould, and cow's manure thoroughly rotted ; should 

 the soil be heavy, an addition of refuse charcoal, lime rubbish, or sand, 

 will be beneficial ; leaving the surface rough that the frost of winter may 

 act upon it. In the spring the beds should be again thoroughly spaded to 

 the depth of one foot, and raked smooth, after which the plants should be 

 turned out of the pots, leaving the ball entire, and planted two feet apart 

 each way. The after treatment may be the same as recommended for pot 

 culture. 



Propagation. — By layers and pipings for increasing approved sorts, and 

 by seed for the production of new varieties. 



By Layers. — The time for performing this operation is when the plants 

 are in full bloom, or a little past. The shoots of the plant around the 

 bottom should then be brought down to the ground, and, when rooted, 

 separated from their parent. The materials needed for layering are a sharp 

 small knife, a quantity of notched pegs, and some finely sifted soil. 

 Choose a dull, cloudy day on which to perform this work, or if the plants 

 are in pots they may be layered in any weather. Begin by trimming off 

 the leaves from the bottom of a shoot, leaving the two uppermost on, and 

 entire. Trim off" the lower leaves on every shoot before layering one, 

 because when a layer is tongued it is easily broken off". When this is done 

 take hold of the shoot, turn it up and pass the knife blade through the 

 third joint upward, commencing the cut just below it, then reach a hooked 

 peg, thrust it into the soil, catching hold by its hook of the layer as it 

 descends, and press it gently down to the soil. Do the next in the same 

 manner, and so on until every shoot is layered, then cover them all with 

 the sifted mould about three quarters of an inch deep, and the process is 

 completed; then give a slight watering and the layers require no further 

 care, but watering, until they are rooted, which will be in about a month or 



