HORTICULTURE. 



297 



I . .rr 



Iris, 



single garden anemones commonly called Poppy Ane- 

 mones, preferring those of good colours. Some care is 

 necessary towards the separating of the seeds, which 

 stick together like those of carrots ; it is most effectually 

 done by rubbing them among dry sand. The seedlings 

 require attention and protection for the first year, par- 

 ticularly in the spring months, when the frost is apt to 

 throw them out of the ground. In the second year, 

 many of them flower ; and the rest probably in the 

 third year. The most promising are then selected. 



Tl -~ pnoov anemone* themselves, of bright red and 

 blue colours, are nighly omaiucut-i :-. J>. g*rAtn bor- 

 ders. They reouire little attention, bting only taken 

 up every second year. They generally flower in Feb- 

 ruary, and form the gayest parterre ornament at that 

 chill season. Double anemones likewise, if left in the 

 border all the year, come very early into flower. 



7r*f. 



05. The genus 7ru or Flower-de-luce is extensive, 

 containing about fifty species, many of which make 

 very handsome flowers for moist ana shady borders ; 

 but when a bed of irises is formed, only a few species 

 eater into it. Different varieties of what are called Uie 

 English or bulbous his (Urge rooted and small rooted, 

 or lit* ftpktOHUt autl /. .njiAium) form principal part. 



The seed of these is gathered and sown by florists, 



; but the colour often yellow, or white ; 

 blue, with white or yellow shades, or violet 

 shades ; and it is variegated in many other 

 ways. I. pallida or pale Turkey iris, with I. variegata 

 and cristata, are sometimes admitted into the bed. I. 

 tubcrosa or aniVa head iris, is a singular species both 

 in regard to foliage and flower, and is likewise occasion- 

 allyplanted. 



The soil of the iris bed should be a light loam, with 

 a mixture of sandy peat The loam should if possible 

 be procured from an old pasture, and the sward should 

 be taken along with it No manure should be added. 

 On an east border, the flower* make a finer appear- 

 ance than if fully exposed to the sooth. 



The Chalcedoman Iris (/. MMSBM) is yearly import- 

 ad from Holland, and produce* it* magnificently rich 

 awl lam flower* the flrst summer, but seldom shews 

 flower till three year* afterward*. It too agree* with . 

 light loamy aoO, but must have a w uiny situa- 

 tion : <* ; - u uBoamil. that moisture, which 

 well with nioat of the species, is hurtful to this 

 In seven winters it is apt to perish : the bast 



root, should [therefore be placed'in pot^ and kept unite 



a frame during winter. 



Dahlia. 



SO*. There are two species of Dahlia mentioned in 

 Horiut Kewtmu, D. superflua and D. frustranea. ( >t 

 the former thtui are purple and roan coloured varie- 

 ties ; and of the latter, scarlet and yellow varieties. 

 Soads have repeatedly been ripened in this country ; 

 and the plant* from these have become so far rKma 

 ted to Britain, that in a few yean they are likely to be 

 ranked as hardy perennials. 



Till Mr It. A. Salisbury published his observations on 

 the cultivation of Dahlias, they were little known 

 m Urn country. Being natives of Mexico, they come 



VOL. XI. PART I. 



into flower in October and November, the period cor- F1 * CT 

 responding to their usual time in their native coun- J "^ 

 try. They may, however, be brought to shew their DaMia . 

 flowers more early. This is accomplished by checking 

 the luxuriance of the herbage, by means of planting the 

 roots in very poor soil, sometimes even in screened 

 gravel. Water is supplied only till the flower-bud be 

 discernible in the heart of the leaves ; after which none 

 is given. 



The roots, which are large and tuberous, like those 

 of peony-rose or yellow asphodel, are taken up every 

 year, and kept for some weeks in sand. Some cultiva- 

 tors alway* plant them in pots, the restraint thus im- 

 posed on the roots having the same effect as planting in 

 graveL The growth in the spring may, in this way, 

 be forwarded, by placing them under a frame ; and the 

 pots may be sunk in the dahlia bed in June, if the 

 bed be situate close to a south-east or south wall, the 

 flowering of the plants is greatly promoted. The more 

 tender sorts, such as the scarlet variety of D. frus- 

 tranea, may be placed next to the wall, and have iU 

 branches nailed to it, in the way practised with love- 

 apple. All secondary branches are pinched off while 

 young and tender, and even some leaves are removed, 

 if the plant shew a disposition to be very luxuriant 



Pink*. 



* 



503. The common pink and the carnation, though r; " k >- 

 considered as distinct kinds of flowers by the florists, 

 have originated chiefly from one and the same species 

 of plant, the Dianthus Caryophyllus of Linnaus, or 

 C'luve I'ink. It grows naturally in rocky situations in 

 some parts of* Germany ; and Sir '. I . .Nuith lias even 

 given it a place (ng/wA littany, L 214.) as a native of 

 Britain. Carnations and pinks seem to have been en- 

 tirely unknown to the ancients ; fur I'liny does not 

 describe them, and the clastic poets make no allusion 

 to them. 



Pinks were not held in much esteem by our own an- 

 cestors ; indeed they seem to have risen to distinction 

 with florists only in the 18th century. They are di- 

 vided by them into several classes ; such as damasks, 

 cobs, and pheasant's-eyes. The first are white, and 

 flower early ; the cobs are red, and flower late. Both 

 of these kinds are cumidcrtd as originating from D. 

 caryophvllu* ; but the pheasant's-cye, of which there are 

 nutuiii varieties, is regarded as having sprung from 



When it ii wished to propagate good kinds of pinks, 

 this is readily done either by layering or by using cut- 

 tings or pipings. This last mode is the most commo- 

 dious, the pink growing freely in this way. The dif- 

 ference between a cutting and a piping consists in this, 

 that in the former a joint is cut through horizontally, 

 while a piping is drawn from its socket, leaving a pipe- 

 like hollow. The proper time for gathering cuttings 

 or pipings is when the plants begin to come into llou ,- r . 

 They are best when between two and three inches in 

 length; and they should be firm and compact, not tlravn. 

 Some part of a bed or border having been worked fine. 

 or the surface soil having been screened by means of 

 a sieve, the pipings are stuck into it at three inches 

 square, and the earth is firmly applied to them with 

 the fingers. A copious watering ij then given, and 

 hand-glasses are firmly pressed down over the plants: 

 if the weather be bright, these may have some dry 

 earth thrown against them while the glass is moist, in 



