THE CARNATION. 65 



spending tallies to the pipings. By adopting this 

 simple method, and paying a little attention while 

 you are about it, it will be impossible not to keep a 

 tolerably correct account, But if you find too much 

 trouble or difficulty in keeping such an account as I 

 here point out, you may wait a fortnight or three 

 weeks longer, till the flowers are in bloom you will 

 still be in time ; but remember this, your chance of 

 success will be less, and your plants less also. Plants 

 raised from cuttings are, in general, preferable to 

 those from layers, because they are sounder, and will 

 encounter the rigours of a sharp winter better. I do 

 not infer from this that you should pipe all the shoots, 

 and by so great mutilation damage and disfigure the 

 plants just coming into bloom. On the contrary, 

 then, I recommend you to select and take the shoots 

 only where they appear crowded or too short, or too 

 high up the stalk to be laid easily, leaving the rest 

 to the more certain method of laying. Carnation 

 pipings succeed best upon a little dung-heap of blood 

 warmth, on a bed raised two or three feet above the 

 surface of the earth ; for, should the season be wet, 



