DIANTHUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



DIANTHUS. 



525 



alpine plants, like the Glacier Pink and 

 the Alpine Pink. 



The following is a selection of the best 

 species for gardens. 



D. alpinus (Alpine Pink}. A beautiful 

 and distinct plant, distinguished at a 

 glance from any other cultivated Pink by 

 blunt-pointed shining green leaves. The 

 stems bear in summer solitary circular 

 flowers, of deep rose spotted with crimson, 

 and when the plant is in good health they 

 are so numerous as to hide the leaves. In 

 poor, moist, and very sandy loam this 

 Pink thrives and forms a dwarf carpet, 

 though the flower-stems are little more 

 than i in. in height ; but both leaves and 

 stems are much more vigorous and tall in 

 deep, moist peaty soil. Wire-worms cause 

 its death more frequently than unsuitable 

 soil. It should be placed in a fully ex- 

 posed spot, and carefully guarded against 

 drought, especially when recently planted. 

 It is not difficult to increase from seed, 

 and it comes true ; and it may be also 

 increased by division. Alps of Austria. 



D. barbatus (Sweet William}. One of 

 the most admired of garden flowers, hardy 

 and vigorous ; bearing a profusion of 

 bright flowers which form sheets of 

 bloom, the colours being vivid and pretty, 

 and the flowers often finely and distinctly 

 marked. What makes the Sweet William 

 of such high value for small gardens is that 

 its culture is so easy, and it may be raised 

 from seed without the aid of glass. 



The Sweet William has been greatly 

 improved of Jate years, and the old 

 varieties are surpassed. The points the 

 "florist" improver aims at are a circular 

 flower, with no indentation where the 

 petals meet, thick in petal, and with all 

 the petals marked alike, the colours 

 meeting each other in clearly defined lines 

 without any feathering or flushing into 

 each other ; but in this, as in other flowers, 

 the more variety the better. In the Sweet 

 William colours vary, and they may be 

 classed under two heads dark and light 

 kinds. Of the latter there is a strain 

 known as the Auricula-eyed, the blooms 

 of which have a clear white eye in a setting 

 of red or purple or some other rich dark 

 colour. Smooth-edged flowers, such as 

 Hunt's strain, have their admirers. Fine, 

 evenly rounded trusses are always present 

 in a good strain, but size is generally 

 allied to high culture. Except for shows, 

 however, very large trusses are not the 

 best, as they usually need support. The 

 finest strain is usually found where year 

 after year care has been exercised in 

 selecting only the finest flowers, with 

 the largest trusses and most varied mark- 



ings. The only self-coloured flowers are 

 those of pure white, pink, or crimson ; all 

 the others are parti-coloured or variously 

 marked, some very prettily mottled, others 

 more or less edged with white or pale 

 pink. 



CULTURE. This is very simple ; sow 

 the seed in April, in a well-prepared bed 

 in a sunny spot, thinning out the young- 

 plants when they are large enough, or, if 

 a large stock is required, planting them 

 out about 6 in. apart in good soil. About 

 the end of September transplant them 

 to their permanent quarters, and in the 

 following summer they will bloom. When, 

 however, any particular strain is to be 

 rapidly increased the following plan is a 



Dianthus alpinus (Alpine Pink). 



good one : Sow in pots, and allow the 

 seedlings to become a little drawn and 

 lanky before planting out. Plant out in 

 light loam, dressed only with a little leaf- 

 mould or loam from rotted turfs, placing 

 the seedlings so that a few of the lower 

 joints are under the soil. When the 

 blooming stems are well above the foliage, 

 prick in a dressing of guano all round 

 the plants, give plenty of water in dry 

 weather, and a further slight dressing of 

 guano just before the flowers begin to 

 open. The result will be vigorous stocky 

 shoots from the buried joints, all rooted 

 and ready to plant out as soon as the 

 bloom is over. Sweet Williams may 

 also be propagated by cuttings taken off 

 in early summer ; for the main stems, 

 which should rise for bloom, creep along 

 the ground, and throw up from every 

 joint shoots suitable for cuttings ; and a 



