58 OF THE CULTIVATION SECT. IV, 



seasons; but weakness or their own weight, will 

 often bring them down. 



The sticks used for flowers, should be of smooth 

 wood, as hazk or sallow, or of neat painted slips of 

 deal, with or without an ornamental head ; white is 

 the best colour, on account of its contrast with the 

 leaves. New bass wetted, fine soft packthread, or 

 green yarn are proper for the ties, which should be 

 twisted first round the stick, and then round the 

 flower: let the ends of the string be cut off close. 

 The sticks should have smooth and sharp points, 

 otherwise they may damage the roots, and will not 

 hold so fast in the ground ; thrust them in as far 

 from the stem as conveniently may be, and let atten- 

 tion be paid to bulbous roots not to go so near as to 

 wound them. Do not think of forcing all the 

 branches of a large bushy head to a single stick; 

 but let two or more be used, as may appear neces- 

 sary, observing that there is something of an equa- 

 lity of size in the sticks used to the same flower. 



Some persons are very incurious about their flower 

 sticks, which may rather be called stakes, even when 

 applied to the smaller sort of plants : Sticks may 

 also be too weak for large ones, and a due proportion 

 }s therefore necessary to propriety and neatness. 



Decaying flowers should be timely trimmed or re- 

 moved, and perennials should be regularly freed froni 

 the parts running to seed, (except for so much as 

 may be wanted) because the production of seeds 

 weakens the roots much ; sometimes causing death, 

 especially the first year of planting them. To pre- 

 serve any particular sort therefore, let the stems be 

 cut down as soon as the flowers appear to be going 

 off, or to secure the root in strength, let them not 

 flower at all the first year. 



Yegetabks. decaying are offensive, and those pre- 



