426 The Gardener's New Director. 



they are to fhow their flowers, when you may mark the 

 moil ciefe!*ving oi your care. That which bhnvs with- 

 out buiiling the pod is to be preferred, but fuch that 

 do, where they have fome pecuhar beauties, fhould 

 be preferved, as they may improve by care, but betore 

 you can fully determine the beauty cf the plants, they 

 -mud have two years growth, whofe perfeclions are to be 

 determined by the following particulars: FirJI, to have 

 the fl:em ftrong, to fupport the flower ered. Secondly, 

 The leaves broad> long and fliff^, yet to expand freely. 

 Third, The pod not to advance too high on the leaves. 

 Fourth, The colours bright and regular. Fi/ih, To 

 be full of leaves, which fall regular, riling high in the 

 middle, and whofe extremities form a regular circle. 

 Such are the marks of a good flower, by which you are 

 to determine thofe you chufe to keep, removing the tin- 

 gle and ill coloured flowers, which will give room for 

 the better laying of the others, whofe layers will be rea- 

 dy for taking off by Augiijl, fetting the larger flowers in 

 pots, and the others in borders. But fuch as are intend- 

 ed formfeed mufl: be kept in the open ground, and the 

 feed taken from the flower that has been railed from 

 feed, and not propagated by laying, as they oiten prove 

 barren. 



Previous to the care of your layers, you mufl: be pro-. 

 vided with the following Compo/i, which is to confifl; of 

 good upland paflure, or of a common whofe earth is 

 haxclly, or of a light fandy loam; of any of thefe take 

 the furface to the depth of eight inches v^ith the turf, 

 let them be laid together in an heap to meliorate, turn- 

 ing it every month for one year; then you are to add to 

 it one third of well rotted cow dung, or where it is not 

 to be had, the fame qu.mtity of the rotted dung of a 

 melon or cucumber bed, thefe are to be mixed together, 

 and will be much improved by being often turned toge- 

 ther for fix months more. But, however good yourcom- 

 poft may be, you are not to expert the ufe of the fame, 

 continually v.'ill keep ycur flov/ers in the highefl: beauty, 

 whereFore it will be necefiary, to have fome of another 

 compofitionj ufing that juft direfted for one year, and lor 

 the next, in the place of the co\y dung, ufe that from your 

 itable, with an addition of Tea fand to lighten it ; but 



hov/ever 



