114 THE PINK. 



' with the foot,, or at least to compress it firmly round 

 ( the plants with the hand. 



' A Pink bed will continue, and flower very well 

 < for two years in succession, though most florists 

 ( renew their plants every year by piping the grass, 

 ' in order to have them young, healthy, and vigorous ; 

 ' and if they are confined to the same plot of ground, 

 ' they take care to add a little fresh loam and rotten 



* dung to it, every time they make up a fresh bed. 



' In preparing compost for the Dianthus tribe of 



* plants, particularly for those which I flower in pots, 

 'I always bear in mind what Virgil says in his 1 



* second Georgic about soil : 



" Pinguis item quse sit tellus, hoc denique pacto 

 " Discimus ; hand unquara manibus jactata fatiscit 

 " Sed picis in morem ad digitos lentescit habendo.' ' 



' Columella and Pliny, also, in their works on Agri-' 

 { culture, have given directions for the selection of 

 ( good soil, which cannot be amended at the present' 

 e day. The following are some of the tests whereby 



* they distinguish it: "That it is of a blackish 

 ' colour : glutinous when wet, and easily crumbled 



* when dry; has an agreeable smell; imbibes water, 



