SNAPDRAGONS, SWEET WILLIAMS 343 



a little soil over it, in order to give the plants a chance 

 of getting good roothold before the hot weather came 

 on. 



Cuttings may also be struck in autumn, and may 

 consist of the young shoots which healthy plants are 

 continually forming. These may be struck in a box 

 of sandy soil in a cold frame, or even outdoors. 



The Sweet William is generally treated as a biennial, 

 like the Wallflower that is, raised from seed in May, 

 thinned, set nine inches apart in a nursery bed in 

 summer, planted out in autumn, and cleared off after 

 flowering in early summer. If, however, a particularly 

 good variety results, it is often kept true by taking young 

 basal shoots as cuttings and inserting them in moist 

 soil in a shady place. But the Sweet William is not, 

 like :he Snapdragon, a chalk-lover, and in poor soil 

 there is little enough growth suitable for cuttings. In 

 this respect the gardener who practises on a rich loamy 

 or moist clay soil is in a much better position than he 

 who works on chalk. 



The Auricula-eyed Sweet William should have a 

 large truss of flowers which possess the qualities of 

 roundness, smooth edges, and clearly defined eye, sur- 

 rounded by a dark band. The Pheasant's Eye, crimson 

 with white eye, is also a beautiful selection. Self- 

 colours, such as pink, scarlet, dark crimson, and white, 

 are also available. Pink Beauty is an exceptionally 

 charming variety. Bright salmon-pink in colour, grow- 

 ing only twelve to eighteen inches high, of neat habit, 

 free blooming, and lasting well, it is perhaps the most 

 valuable of all the Sweet Williams as a garden plant. 

 The various colours come true from seed, and so does 

 the double white. 



As in the case of Snapdragons, mixed seed from a 



