THE CARNATION. 49 



generally fixed to the end of the etui, made use of 

 for dressing the flower : in a crowded pod it is always 

 best to ease it in time, by cutting the cup in the 

 several indentures or scallops marked at the top ; the 

 guard-leaves will then fall in regular order all round. 



As soon as the large external petals of the flower 

 or guard-leaves begin to expand, drop, and fall back, 

 a paper collar should be placed round the bottom of 

 the blossom to support it. These collars are made 

 of white thin card paper, in the form of a circle of 

 three or four inches in diameter, with a hole in the 

 centre just large enough to admit the calix or pod, 

 without much compressing, and with a cut extending 

 from the centre to the outside or circumference, like 

 the radius of a circle. On these cards the flower is 

 preserved in shape and form a long time ; on these 

 the petals also are finely disposed, and the beauty of 

 the Carnation displayed to great advantage. 



To support the blossoms when carded, and to 

 keep them from being blown about by the wind, as 

 well as to sustain the additional weight of the cards, 



a small thin brass wire, about three inches long, 



D 



