June.] Flower Garden. 293 



The layers of carnations, pinks, double fweet-williams, 

 and the like, raifed this year, will all blow next fummer. 



Propagating Pinks and Carnations, by Pipings or Cuttings. 



Propagate al£b pink", and carnations by cuttings or 

 pipings of tlie young ihoots, which is a neat and expedi- 

 tious method of propagation, and is more peculiarly 

 adapted for, pinks ; and by which they may be very quick- 

 ly raifed in great abuncance> as is the prailice of the Lon- 

 don gardeners, who raife vail quantities annually of all 

 the capital forts for markets. 



The operation is commonly called piping,, and is per- 

 formed as follows: 



jA^bout the middle or latter end of this, or beginning of 

 next monch, the plants will have made proper ihoots for 

 this operation ; however, any time between the middle of 

 June and July, the cuttings may be taken off, obferving 

 you are to take only the upper, young, tender part of 

 each fhoot ; and if the piping, or cutting hath, when tak^ii 

 off, two or three joints, it is fufficient ; fome take them ofF 

 with a knife, cutting them clofe below a joint ; and others 

 choofe to take them off with the hand only ; and the me- 

 thod is this : take the head of the Ihoot between the ends 

 of your fingers and thumb of one hand, and with the other 

 ihold the lower part of the ihoot ; then pulling the head of 

 the ihoot gently, it will readily part and come out of its 

 focket, about the third joint from the top, hence it is called 

 piping. Or you may detach them more expeditiouily with 

 a knife, cutting them off about the third joint. 



Having procured a quantity, let their tops be trimmed 

 pretty iliort ; and if the bottom of the piping or cutting 

 appears ragged, cut that even ; they muit then be imme- 

 diately planted in a bed, or in pots of light rich earth. . 



The earth muft be broken very fine,, and the furface 

 made very fmooth ; then, taking the cuttings one by one 

 between the finger and thumb, thruil them gently near 

 half way into the earth, put. them about an inch, or an 

 inch and a-half diftant from one another ; mind, in plant- 

 ing, to make no hole to receive ihe cutting, but only 

 thrufi: the end gently into the earth, which will make way 

 for itfelf ; and as foon as a quantity is planted, giye im- 

 mediately a gentle watering, to fettle the earth about 

 them clofely.. 



P 3 They 



