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THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



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always continue to produce the same flowers, so that when a 

 line variety is obtained, it is thus propagated and maintained ; 

 but all the new varieties come from seed, so that every per- 

 son tkut is curious in these flowers must sow the seeds 

 annually. Carnations may also be increased by cuttings and 

 pipings as pinks are, but not so successfully in general as by 

 layers, unless the operation be performed on a hot-bed under 

 glasses ; the cuttings for piping should have two joints, 

 which ought to be thrown into water fora few minutes, and 

 planted not more than half an inch deep ; they are to be 

 gently watered, mid lo continue open till their leaves are dry 

 before they are covered ; after this, they are to be kept moist 

 till they have rooted, and to have only the morning sun and 

 air admitted occasionally ; but notwithstanding every pre- 

 caution, success will be very uncertain, and many of the 

 cuttings will frequently perish. Propagation and culture of 

 Pinks. The common Pinks are propagated by seeds, which 

 i-i the best way to obtain new varieties ; or by layers, as is 

 practised for Carnations ; or by slips, or pipings as they are 

 commonly called, which, if carefully managed, will take root 

 very well. In raising them from seed, care should be taken 

 to save only the sorts which Will produce the finest flowers; 

 the seeds mny be sown in the spring, and the plants treated 

 in the same way as is above pointed out for the Carnation : 

 the Old Man's Head and Painted Lady Pinks, are commonly 

 propagated by this method, and most of the others. - The 

 time most proper for piping, will vary with the season, but 

 it should always be done immediately before or during the 

 bloom, or indeed as soon as the young shoots are of a suffi- 

 cient length for that purpose, that is, to form pipings from 

 two to three inches in length ; the striking will be much faci- 

 litated by covering the beds or pots with glasses, after having 

 given them a good watering ; not taking off the glasses till 

 the cuttings or pipings begin to grow, but applying the 

 water, when necessary, round the outside of the glasses. In 

 a month or six weeks they may be rooted, and grow, though 

 they may be fully exposed. The only difference between 

 cuttings and pipings is, that the former are cut through a 

 joint horizontally, and the latter are drawn out at the joint 

 from their sockets, so that they leave a hollow like a pipe, 

 and thence derive their name. At the time of planting, if 

 any rain should fall it will be of great service, but should the 

 weather prove dry, the cuttings or pipings will require to be 

 watered every other day until they have taken root ; they 

 should be planted in a shady border, and the ground should 

 he dug well, and all the clods broken ; and it no rain falls, 

 it should be well soaked with water a few hours before they 

 are planted ; they ought then to be taken from the plants, 

 all their lower lips stripped off, and planted as soon as pos- 

 sible after, for if sull'ered to lie long, they will wither and 

 spoil. They need not be planted at a greater distance than 

 three inches square, with the ground closed very hard about 

 them; after which, watering and weeding is all they will 

 require. Pinks may also be increased by slipping off the 

 young shoots from the sides of the main nnes, any time in 

 the spring from February to April ; the slips ought to be 

 from three or four to six or eight inches in length. 



10. Dianthus Pomeridianus ; Afternoon Pink. Calicine 

 scales ovate, acute, very short, upper half of the calix striated; 

 petals emarginate, almost entire. The stem has only three 

 or four simple, long, one-flowered branches ; the corolla is 

 yellow, and underneath pale green. The flowers open at half 

 after twelve at noon, and close at ten at night. Found near 

 Constantinople, and in Palestine. 



11. Dianlhus Dcltoides ; Muuli-n Pink. Calicine scales 

 ovate-lanceo 1 ate, acute, about two j petals crenate ; leaves 



bluntish, subpubescent. liarren steins numerous, reclining' 

 putting forth roots ; flowering-stems six to eight inches high' 

 columnar below, square at top, slender, weak, but usually 

 erect .sometimes simple, sometimes branchedor dichot onio u.s, 

 swollen at the joint, slightly pubescent ; the petals vary much 

 in colour, being sometimes of a very pale flesh-colour, soinr 

 times deep red, but always marked with a ring of deeper red 

 dots near the centre of the flower. Dillenius distinguished 

 this species by the scales of the calix being much more 

 pointed ; thecorolla of adeeper colour, with numerous silvery 

 dots ; and its Holering later, namely, in June, and July. It 

 continues flowering till late in autumn. There is a variety of 

 this species common in gardens, which has white flowers with 

 a beautiful purple ring, and leaves rather more glaucous than 

 in the common sort. It is found on pastures and heaths on 

 a light soil in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, .Spain ; and is 

 not uncommon in Kngland, being found on Ilampstead 

 Heath, Dupper's Hill near Croydon, about Hampton Court 

 Park, Beacon's Hill, near Feversham in Kent ; not far from 

 Slough, near Windsor ; near Sandy, in Bedfordshire ; in 

 Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk ; at Clay, near IIU1- 

 borough in the way from Brandon, &c. in Nottinghamshire, 

 Derbyshire, Westmoreland, Shropshire, Somersetshire; and 

 at King's Park, Edinburgh. 



12. Dianthus Rupestris ; Field Pik. Calicine scales two, 

 very obtuse ; petals crenate. Leaves linear, very narrow , 

 three-sided, channelled, stiffish, connate, in tui'ts, scabrous 

 on the edge and keel ; stem filiform, prostrate, bearing one 

 or two flowers, which are remote, and sweet-scented; petals 

 blood-red, crenate, not feathered or villose. Perennial ; 

 native of mountains in the south of Europe. 



13. Dianthus Caesius ; Mountain Pink. Flowers subso- 

 litary ; calicine scales roundish, short ; petals crenate, pubes- 

 cent; leaves rugged at the edge. The circle is purple, and 

 there is a purple tinge on the upper surface, from a number 

 of very fine lines. Root woody ; stalks several, a span hin'h, 

 erect, simple, smooth, quadrangular, having two or three 

 pairs of leaves on them, one-flowered, scarcely ever two- 

 flowered ; petals flesh-coloured, with a double row of blunt 

 notches, .narked with lines, and bearded at the base. The 

 flowers have no scent. Native of Switzerland; and in Eng- 

 land it is found on Chedder rocks, in Somersetshire. 



14. Dianthus Albens j Cafe Pink. Calicine scales lance- 

 olate, four, short ; corollas emarginate. Petals white abort, 

 greenish white underneath, with the tip violet-coloured on 

 both sides. Itis a perennial, flowering in \ugust ; and native 

 of the Cape of Good Hope. This is the only plant of the 

 genus which will not bear the open air of our climate. 



15. Dianthus Chinensis; China Pink. Calicine scales sub- 

 ulate, patulous, leafy, equalling the tube ; corollas crenate, 

 leaves lanceolate. The flower-stems rise from six to eight 

 or nine inches high, branching out on every side ; the branches 

 grow erect, and are terminated each by one flower, which 

 possesses no scent, but exhibits a great variety of colours. 

 They arc a considerable ornament to the flower-garden from 

 July till autumn, when the frost stops them. They ha\e 

 been greatly improved by culture ; some flowers bciiii; as full 

 of petals as the best double Pinks, and displaying the most 

 glowing and vivid red colours : it is known in the nursery- 

 grounds by the name of Indian Pink, and was originally im- 

 ported from China by way of Paris. It is generally supposed 

 to be an annual plant, because the plants which are raised 

 from seeds, flower and produce ripe seeds in the same season, 

 so that thir roots are not often preserved ; but, where they 

 are planted <>n<a dry soil they will continue two years, and the 

 second yew will produce a greater number of flowers thai) 



