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the beginning of March or the following month. 

 The work is performed by closing the holes in 

 i be bottoms or' the pots with pieces of oyster 

 shells or tiles, then filling them halt' way up 

 with the earth prepared as above, placing the 

 plants with their bails of earth in them, and 

 filling up the vacancies on the sides with more 

 fiesh mould, closing it well up about the bodies 

 of the plants so as they may stand neaily as 

 "nigh as the tops of the pots, giving a good wa- 

 tering at the time. 



When the plants have been, thus potted they 

 should be placed in a sheltered sunny situation 

 in the open air, being frequently refreshed with 

 water in hot dry weather. 



It is the practice with some florists to plant, 

 two flowers in a large pot; but it is better as 

 well as more convenient for layering only to 

 have one, the plants flowering stronger and 

 making more free shoots. 



In the summer treatment of the flowers the 

 cue of frequent watering should be continued 

 when the weather is hot and droughty, and the 

 surface mould be occasionally stirred to promote 

 the growth and preserve neatness; and when 

 the flower-stalks are a little advanced, handsome 

 painted sticks should be placed for their support 

 both in the pots and other situations, to which 

 they should be neatly tied as they proceed in 

 their growth. When they approach the period 

 of flowering, the curious sorts should be re- 

 moved to a stage constructed for the purpose, 

 and provided with an awning to protect them 

 from being injured by the scorching heat of the 

 sun in the middle of the day, and the effects of 

 too much wet, by which they are continued 

 much longer in beauty. 



Stages of this nature are formed in different 

 methods, according to the fancy of the persons 

 who make use of them. The following is a 

 neat mode of constructing such apparatus : a 

 platform is erected at the height of eighteen 

 inches or two feet, constituted of two ranges of 

 planks, in order to contain two rows of pots, 

 sustained by posts in one or two rows under- 

 neath with an open-work roof five or six feet in 

 height, covered by means of painted canvass, or 

 some other suitable material, the whole being 

 supported by upright posts, according to the 

 taste of the proprietor. 



The body of the stage should be neatly paint- 

 ed for the purpose of effect as well as preser- 

 vation. 



Instead of these stages some make use of a 

 sort of caps or umbrellas formed of tin or other 

 materials, supported on stems or sticks, one for 

 each plant ; but these arc neither so convenient 

 nor afford so goo I an effect as the former in di- 

 splaying the beauUes of the flowers. 



But whatever contrivances are made use of for 

 the protection and display of these curioitl 



flowers, the tying of the plants to (he support- 

 sticks should be continued as the stems adv ince; 

 and some curious florists contrive to keep them 

 erect at the tops by the use of line wire or other 

 similar means. And in order to procure the 

 flowers as large and fine as possible, they trim oif 

 all the sidc-bhoots from the sten s, leaving only 

 one or two of the top flower-buds to expand. 

 When the flowers begin to open, eare should be 

 taken to prevent their bursting and expanding irt 

 an irregular manner, especially in the btirsiei s, by 

 making a little openingor two in the indenting? at 

 the topatequal distances in other places, by mean* 

 of fine small pointed scissars. The regular ex- 

 pansion of the flowers may likewise he much as- 

 sisted, especially where one side is more ex- 

 panded than the other, and they are in pots, by 

 turning the pots, that the contrary sides may 

 have the full influence of the sun. 



Some florists likew ise, to blow the curious sorts 

 as broad and fine as possible, make use of a kind 

 of spreading, stiff, white paper collar, cut open 

 on one side and placed round the bottom's of the 

 flowers to expand the petals upon to the utmost 

 extent ; but the practice is not in general ad- 

 visable. 



As these plants flower less perfectly as they 

 increase in age, it is proper to provide fresh sup- 

 plies of new varieties of them annually by sow- 

 ing seed obtained from the best sorts in the 

 spring season, as directed above, and likewise to 

 continue the most valuable double varieties by 

 means of layering in the summer months every 

 year, or the planting of cuttings or pipings, but 

 the first is by much the best mode. 



In order to - have good seed, some plants of the 

 best and most curious sorts should be preserved 

 distinct, and suffered to flower and ripen their 

 seed in a perfect manner, which should then be 

 taken off in the pods when the weather is dry, 

 and, after being hardened a little, rubbed out and 

 put up in a bag to be placed in a dry situation. 



Culture in the Pink Kind. — All the species 

 and varieties of these plants may be increased 

 from seeds, and the perennial sorts likewise by 

 layers, slips, cuttings, and pipings. 



Where the best sorts only are sirown, great eare 

 should be taken, in providing the seed, that it be 

 alw ay^ had from the best and most perfect kinds. 



It should he sown in the manner directed for 

 Carnations, in the beginning of March or the 

 following month, and the plants be managed in 

 a similar manner, only, as being more hardy in 

 their nature, with less tenderness. 



The sixth species is best increased by sowing 

 the seed on a very gentle hot-bed the beginning 

 of April, as the vegetation is thereby much for- 



