112 CARNATIONS AND PINKS. [June, July. 



species of Co'lchicum, with species of several other genera not 

 introduced into the country. They should all be lifted as 

 soon as the foliage is decayed, and kept only a few weeks out 

 of the ground, and then again replanted in fresh soil. The 

 economy of the genus Colchicum in regard to its bulbs, 

 flowers, and seeds, is altogether singular, and may be termed 

 an anomaly of nature. In producing the new bulbs or off- 

 sets, in a very curious manner the old one perishes. The 

 flowers, which arise with long slender tubes from the root, die 

 off in October, without leaving any external appearance of 

 seeds. These lie buried all the winter within the bulb ; in 

 spring they throw up a fruit-stalk, and are ripe about the first 

 of June. How beautiful and admirable is this provision ! 

 The plant blooming so late in the year would not have time 

 to mature its seeds before winter; and is, therefore, so con- 

 trived that it may be performed out of the reach of the usual 

 ^effects of frost, and they are brought above the surface when 

 perfected, and at a proper season for sowing. 



CARNATIONS ANP 



In order to make the former flower well, if the weather JH 

 dry, give them frequent waterings at the root, and tie them 

 up neatly to their rods. The criterion of a fine Carnation 

 is The stem strong and straight, from thirty to forty inches 

 high; the corolla three inches in diameter, consisting of 

 large, round, well-formed petals, but not so many as to crowd 

 it, nor so few as to make it appear thin or empty ; the out- 

 side petals should rise above the calyx about half an inch, 

 and then turn off in a horizontal direction, to support the 

 interior petals, they forming nearly a hemispherical corolla. 

 The interior petals should decrease in size toward the centre, 

 all regularly disposed on every side ; they should have a small 

 degree of concavity at the lamina or broad end, the edges 

 perfectly entire. The calyx above one inch in length, with 

 strong broad points in a close and circular body. The colours 

 must be perfectly distinct, disposed in regular long stripes, 

 broadest at the edge of the lamina, and gradually becoming 

 narrower as they approach the unguis or base of the petal, 

 there terminating in a fine point. Those that contain two 

 colours upon a white ground are esteemed the fines*. 



