THE CARNATION. 13 



or two in the evening to expose the blossom to the 

 air, lest the colours become faint by too much con- 

 finement,, and lose their lustre. 



Not to spin this subject out too fine, we will 

 suppose that to-morrow the grand exhibition takes 

 place,, the show-day for honour and prizes ; and 

 that you have already marched and countermarched 

 from one end of the stage or garden to the other, 

 times out of number, and that you have examined 

 and re-examined all the blooms over and over, and 

 that you have at length, towards evening, fixed upon 

 and cut the seven or twelve flowers;, as the number 

 may be, which are to grace the pan, and contend for 

 the prize. 



Dissolve a little nitre or saltpetre in the water, 

 before you put your flowers in it ; this will help to 

 stiffen the leaves. After they have been in water a 

 couple of hours, take your etui, and pull the guard- 

 leaves quite round and circular; then place the 

 second, third, and fourth tier of petals in an imbri- 

 cated form, that is, like slates upon a roof, or scales 

 upon a fish, a leaf covering each division of the 



