CEL 



C E L 



of a beautiful scarlet colour, but which dege- 

 nerated in a few years. 



According- to Linnaeus, it varies with narrow 

 and broad leaves; and Thunberg asserts that the 

 crests or heads of flowers are often a foot in 

 length and breadth in Japan, and extremely beau- 

 tiful, but that they degenerate in other climates. 



The second species, according to Miller, rises 

 with an upright stalk about two feet high, gar- 

 nished with oval leaves ending in points, of a 

 pale colour; those on the lower part being four 

 or five inches long, and one and a half broad in 

 the middle, but diminishing gradually in their 

 size upward: towards the upper part of the 

 stalk a few side branches are sent out, which 

 stand erect, each terminated by a slender spike 

 of flowers, and the principal stalk by one which 

 is much larger, being two or three inches long, 

 and about as thick as a man's middle finger, the 

 whole spike having a silvery colour. It is a 

 native of America. 



It varies, with oblong spikes of equal thick- 

 ness, with pyramidal spikes, with entire white 

 spikes, and with white and red spikes. 



The third has a furrowed stalk, rising three 

 or four feet high, and terminated by several 

 spikes of flowers variously formed, some being 

 crested, others plumed like feathers, of a bright 

 scarlet colour. It is a native of China. 



It varies, with crested spikes, with incurved 

 crested spikes, and with plumed spikes. 



The fourth species rises with a white woolly 

 stalk from two to three feet high. From the 

 upper part come out two or three slender side 

 branches, which, as also the principal stalk, are 

 terminated by woolly spikes of flowers: the 

 leaves are white, lanceolate, obtuse, and downy. 

 It is a native of Ceylon. 



Culture. — In order to produce fine flowers of 

 this sort, it is necessary to be particularly careful 

 in collecting the seed, so as to have it good and 

 well ripened. 



The method of raising all the different sorts 

 is by sowing the seeds of each separately in the 

 early spring, as in the beginning of March, 

 either upon a hotbed, or in pots to be plunged in 

 one; in the first case, the surface being covered 

 with fine, light, dry mould, four or five inches 

 in thickness. When the plants have attained a 

 few inches in growth they should be carefully 

 taken up, and pricked out upon another hotbed 

 prepared and moulded for the purpose, at the 

 distance of six inches. They should remain in 

 this situation till they begin to be crowded, which 

 is mostly the case in six or seven weeks. At 

 this period another hotbed should be in readi- 

 ness, with very deep frames. When the plants 

 have been raised without pots on the beds, as 



many as are necessary should now be put in 

 pots, care being taken to remove them from the 

 former bed, with good balls of earth about their 

 roots, by means of a trowel, placing one in 

 each pot without disturbing the mould about 

 them, filling up the spaces about them with 

 good rich earth. Some water should then be 

 given, and the pots be plunged to their rims 

 in the bed, and as close together as possible, 

 the openings between the pots being filled up 

 well with mould to prevent the rising of steam. 



The glasses in all these cases should be so 

 managed as to preserve the heat in such a man- 

 ner as may keep the plants in a constant vigorous 

 state of growth, being matted up in the nights, 

 and having linings applied when there may be 

 occasion. When the weather is fine and calm, 

 air should, however, be admitted rather freely 

 by tilting up the ends of them, and water mo- 

 derately sprinkled over them as there may be 

 occasion. 



For the Large sorts, the frames should have 

 sufficient depth to draw them up to three or four 

 feet in height, being raised, when necessary, as 

 the plants advance in growth ; but for the Dwarf 

 kinds the common frames are sufficient, as their 

 heads should be constantly kept near to the 

 glasses. See Hotbeds and Garden-Frames. 



As the summer advances the plants should be 

 gradually hardened by more free admissions of 

 air till the glasses are wholly removed, and the 

 plants set out where they are to remain, in 

 which it is proper to support the tall sorts by 

 handsome sticks. In this situation water should 

 be freely given every day, to prevent the leaves 

 from shrinking and keep the flower-heads full. 



Plants of these sorts may be removed from 

 the second hotbeds into the beds, clumps, or 

 borders; but they never grow so strong as in the 

 above method. 



The seeds in all the different species become 

 in a state of perfection about the beginning of 

 the autumn, when attention should be had to 

 select it from the best and finest plants of each 

 kind, sheltering the heads when necessary from 

 rains, 8cc. and keeping the different sorts of seed 

 separate. 



The perfection of the Cock's Comb chiefly 

 consists in its having a regular, upright, straight 

 stem without any side branches, but well fur- 

 nished all the way with leaves, and the large 

 flower-head erect, close, and regular. 



These are all plants of the curious ornamental 

 kind, which have a fine effect in the more con- 

 spicuous parts of gardens or pleasure-grounds 

 in mixture with others of the flowery kind. The 

 Cock's Combs are well calculated to be placed 

 in the courts and other places about the house, 



