D I A 



D I A 



These flowers may be increased and new ones 

 produced bv seeds, which should be sown on 

 beds formed of the above compost, or on the 

 common borders of light fine mould, from about 

 the middle of March to the same period in the 

 following month, raking it in evenly to the 

 depth of a quarter of an inch, giving slight wa- 

 terings when necessary, to promote their vege- 

 tation. The fine sorts are likewise often sown 

 in pots or boxes, in order that they may be rea- 

 dily placed so as to have only the morning sun 

 when the season is hot and dry. 



After the plants are come up they should be 

 kept clear from weeds, and be watered occa- 

 sionallv, and about July, when the weal her is 

 moist, be taken up and pricked out in nursery- 

 rows on beds three feet in width, setting them 

 six inches distant, and watering them well at the 

 time and afterwards till they have taken fresh root. 



At the beginning of autumn, as about Sep- 

 tember, they will have attained a large growth, 

 and require to be removed into other beds or si- 

 tuations for flowering, in which they should be 

 set out in rows eight or nine inches distant each 

 way. Some place them in the quincunx man- 

 ner, as producing a better effect. In this situa- 

 tion they should be protected in severe weather 

 during the winter by the application of mats 

 upon hoops placed over the beds. The culture 

 they require in these beds is merely that of keep- 

 ing them free from weeds, occasionally stirring 

 the earth between them by a hoe, and as their 

 flower-stalks advance giving them the support of 

 handsome sticks. They should remain in these 

 situations till they flower, after which the singles 

 should be taken out and made use of as there 

 may be occasion, in order to afford full room for 

 the double sorts, the finest and most perfect of 

 which being made stage or principal flowers, 

 and the others set out in the borders ; the 

 whole being increased as there may be necessity 

 by layering both the first and succeeding years. 



The layer method is that which is principally 

 employed in increasing and continuing particu- 

 lar varieties, as being the most certain. For 

 this purpose the radical leafy shoots proceeding 

 from the crowns of the plants, when of six or 

 eight inches growth, are the most proper. 

 These should be laid down into the earth about 

 the latter end of June or beginning of the fol- 

 lowing month. The work is performed by strip- 

 ping off the leaves from the lower part of the 

 shoot, cutting off a little of the top, and then fix- 

 ing upon a strong joint about the middle, to slit it 

 with a sharp knife nearly half way through in a 

 slanting manner, so as nearly to reach the joint 

 above, forming a sort of tongue on the under 

 side of the shoot, removing the bark from the 

 enlarged part or joint to promote the striking 

 7 



root. The mould about the root of the plant 

 should then be stirred, and fresh added where it 

 is wanting, forming a slight drill or opening for 

 the branch to be gently laid down into in a 

 horizontal manner with the cut part in the 

 earth, the top being left out and raised a little to 

 keep the slit open, pegging the main part of the 

 branch down by short hooked sticks, drawing 

 the earth over the cut part. When this method 

 has been practised on all the branches, a good 

 watering should be given to settle the mould 

 about them, and frequently (epeated when the 

 season is drv. 



When the layers thus formed have stricken 

 good roots, which is mostly the case in six or 

 eight weeks, they should be taken off with the 

 root-fibres as entire as possible, and after having 

 the sticky parts about the bottom and the top 

 leaves trimmed off, be planted out either in pots 

 or beds, in the latter method at six or eight 

 inches distance, with a dibble, a good watering 

 being immediately given, and repeated every 

 two days for ten clays or a fortnight till the plants 

 become well rooted. They should be removed 

 from these beds with balls of earth about their 

 roots in the beginning of the autumn into small 

 pots, to have shelter during the winter, and in 

 the early spring be placed in large ones for flow- 

 ering; but when there is room, it is a better 

 practice to plant them at once in the pots, as 

 frequent transplanting injures their growth. 

 Some florists, hosvever, think it beneficial. 



The less fine sorts may at the above season be 

 planted out in the clumps, borders, or other 

 parts, or be left in the beds for flowering. 



These flowers may likewise be increased by 

 cuttings or pipings in the manner directed below 

 in raising pinks. 



In the winter management of the plants, the 

 fine potted sorts should about November be re- 

 moved under the protection of a deep frame 

 covered with glasses, and plunged closely toge- 

 ther in a slight bed of old tan, dry sand, or earth. 

 In this situation they should have a free admis- 

 sion of air when the weather is mild, but be 

 covered in frost, and care should be taken that 

 there be no stagnation of moisture, by the holes 

 in the bottoms of the pots being obstructed. 



The flowers in the beds should be covered by 

 mats or other contrivances when the weather is 

 severe at the same season. 



In the spring their culture should be conti- 

 nued by removing those fine varieties planted 

 out in small pots in the autumn into large ones 

 for flowering, and such as have remained in the 

 nursery-beds into the borders or large pots nine 

 or ten inches over at top, to afford flowers, in 

 each of which the business should be done by 

 preserving balls of earth about their roots, about 



