ANNUAL PINKS 47 



ANNUAL PINKS 



Dianthus chinensis y the Indian or China Pink, intro- 

 duced in 1713, is now treated as an annual, though an 

 earlier race of horticulturists cultivated it as a biennial, 

 and sowed the seeds in June and transplanted the seedlings 

 when fit to handle into prepared beds, while to strengthen 

 the young plants still further flower-stems that pushed 

 the same year were rigorously suppressed. Cultivated 

 in that way very large plants that flowered in much 

 profusion were produced. Latterly, however, the Indian 

 Pink, in all its numerous varieties, has been grown as 

 an annual. The period during which the seeds may be 

 sown with every certainty of the plants flowering the 

 same year extends from February, in which month it 

 is the general practice to raise plants under glass, until 

 the beginning of April, when the seeds are sown in the 

 ground where the plants are to flower. This species 

 succeeds best when given a fairly fertile soil, the addition 

 of some year-old manure, well-rotted, effecting a vigorous 

 and floriferous growth. 



The varieties at present in cultivation are very 

 numerous, there being many subsections, in each or 

 which a wide range of colours exists. The most re- 

 markable step in advance occurred about the year 1860, 

 when the Japanese variety, D. Heddewigi, was introduced 

 from St. Peterburgh, a Mr. Heddewig of that city 

 having obtained seeds from Japan a few years previously. 

 The flowers are very large, with a range of colour 

 embracing white to darkest crimson in both single and 

 double forms. In addition to what may be termed the 

 type there is another called D. H. laciniatus^ the flowers of 

 which possess deeply fringed petals, some very charming 

 colours having been produced of late years in this section. 

 Yet another break in which the petals are edged with 

 white is that called D. H. diadematus, so that in the 



