HORTICULTURE. 299 



luuinj >st not be neglected. The lower cinalif) decks the pastures and margins of corn fields 



(avers being stripped off, and the terminal particularly in the south and west of England, and the 



cropped an incision is made below the second or gathering of the pips for the making of wine furnishes 



ioint and continued through the joint ; the loose in many places a pleasing employment for children, 



ortiun of 'stem below the cut joint is removed, so that The oxlip (P. thtior) is much less common than the 



lavcr may bend freely. It is kept down by a slight cowslip, and is found chiefly in woods, and by the mar- 



** of wood" or what i-" more com enient and neat, of gins of woods. It seems to be the parent of several 



fern or pteri. ; such fern pegs are naturally of die small-flowered polyanthuses. The b.rdVeye 



1 primrose (P. fariaota) is certainly one of the prettiest 



Flower 

 Garden. 



IBs? * " ' **' | ** ~m 



formed in the stalk of the frond, and they decay of 

 themselves when no longer needed. If the weather be 

 ,,_.. ..._:- r^M. mefiil. In about a month most 

 of the layers are foundto be rofltea, oi *--? \>* una. 

 , "taking care not to plant too deep. Carnations 

 ' by piping* ; but thi* is a more 



difficult mode. The pipings being dressed, by cutting 

 about half a line bekiw the tecoud joint from the extre- 

 mity of the shoot, and shortening the foliage a* for lay- 

 er*, ire placed in water for some time, to plump them as 

 florists speak. They are then pricked into an exhausted 

 hot-bed, and covered with hand-glassea. The soil is kept 

 moist till fibres be sent out ; but it is proper to observe, 

 that after watering, the glass should not be replaced till 

 the leaves of the pipings be dry. When they begin to 

 boot upwards, an- is regularry but cautiously admitted. 



natives we can boast, and it grows on the poorest moors. 

 Of the exotic species, the auricula or bear's-ear (P. au- 

 ricula') is a well known favourite, of which we shall 

 speak after treating of the polyanthus. 



511. According to the florist, the properties of a good Polyanthus, 

 polyanthus are the follow Irij : The tnl>e of the corol- 

 la above the calyx should be short, well filled at the 

 mouth with the anther*, nnd terminate fluted rather 

 above the eye. The eye should be circular, of a bright 

 clear yellow, and distinct from the ground colour be- 

 low. The ground colour is most admired when shaded 

 with a light ami dark rich crimson, resembling velvet, 

 with one mark or stripe in the centre of each division 

 of the limb or Ixmler, bold and distinct from the edg- 

 ing down to the eye, where it should terminate in n 



Layers or pipings, when properly rooted, are removed, fine point. The petal should be large, quite flat, ami 

 an<f, if choice kimU, generally planted in pots, three or round, excepting the minute indentations between each 



tour in each pot. h or Ule whiter tjun t eamatiuiia, " I 



ther young plants, or surviving mother plants, are beat 

 prsisrrtd in a repository smiilar to that commonly used 

 fcr auricula*. Here they remain till after the middle 

 of March, when they are placed in pota singly for 



fluffs el u ig, as already mentioned. 



of coarse only by means of seed that new varieties 



pUnU should petiect their seeds, they are resmred from 

 the canvas awning t 



division, which divide it into five (sometimes six) heart- 

 like segments. The edging should resemble a bright 

 gold lace ; it should be bold, clear, and distinct, and 

 nearly of the same colour as the eye and stripes. 



Endless are the varieties of p1yantluies ; and a 

 they are easily raised from seed, they are generally the 

 first kind of riower that a young florist cultivates. Seed 

 sale ; but by sowing this, very 

 be exected. The seeds shrmtil 



H kept in the shops for 

 few goad varieties may 



to a place completely exposed to the be saved only from flowers with large upright stems, 

 or, in the northern part of the island, into an producing manv flowers upon a stalk, which are large, 



-L 1 - -'1 -It ft i " i i. . 



airy greenhouse ; and th< 

 making layers or piping* 

 ptsjnts recently raised tn 



plant i* not mutilated, by 

 It may be remarked, that 

 from the 



recently 



productive of seed, and that varieties 

 have long been propagated by layers and cuttings, 

 scarcely produce any. In flowsr* approaching to the 

 doable state, but few seeds can in any case be ex- 

 pected, and these few often require to be fostered; 

 the withered petals are drawn out from the pod, 

 leaving the style* or stigmata, which proceed tresn 

 en or seed mod ; an iri'-i.ian i >* 

 1 in the calvx "> - *M? ue of the 

 i i to prevent any witer (Van lodging there. 

 red ripent in >utember, but it i kept in the pad 

 tin April, when it U sown in pots. The young plants are 

 afterwards transplanted into a bed, where they are al- 

 lowed to show flower ; such as prove single-Cowered, 

 are cart out ; and the best of the double flower, are 

 layered. 



It may here be 



A good 

 -t. in ..t' 



finely shaped, which open flat, and are not pin-eyed ; 

 and all ordinary flowers near to these should be cut 

 over, to avoid any intermixture of pollen. The need 

 i* ready in June, and the pods should be gathered as 

 they successively ripen. The seed is commonly sown 

 in boxes in January. The seedlings are regularly watered 

 in dry weather, and shaded from the forenoon sun. They 

 re fit for pricking out in the end of May ; and they are 

 transplanted, in August and Septenilxr, to the borders 

 where thy are to flower, which should be romevihat 

 moist and study, snd exposed only to the east. A loa- 

 my soil answers best Moet of them will flower in the 

 succeeding spring, and then those that are indifferent 

 may be east oot, or transferred to the <ihriib!>ery. The 

 elect plants being again transplanted, will bloom in 

 full strength the second year ; and, if the kinds lie ve- 

 ry s^d, ill, in collective beauty and brilliancy, be lit- 

 tie inferior to a show of auricula*. 



After thi. thry mu<t be yearly removed, and the 

 root* must be parted, else the flowers will inevitably 

 degenerate. The truth is, that seedling plants produce 

 stronger and more brilliant flowers than offsets ; and 



of the operation of grafting. 



kind ; the mo* woody part of the stalk i* to be prefer- they who would have poly anthuses'in Tp^rfertlon, 'must 

 -d, ai hip-grafting is beat. M ve *eed from their finest plants, and *ow annually. 



The best way is to raise two or three of the finest plants 

 with a ball of earth attached, and to plant them in ano- 

 ther part of the garden, where they may be free from 

 >f the fine grnusPn'imi/a, several elegant species intermixture of pollen, and may be regularly watered, 

 are native* of Britain. Every one is delighted with attention to watering being found v. ry conducive to 

 the appearance of the common primrose (P. m/garii) the production of vigorous and healthy seed. The 

 on our b.-nks in the spring time, and many are the va- plant* which thus yield seed are much weakened, and 

 rieties cultivated in garden* under the name of Poly- often perish. In some gardens, the choice flower* are 

 ambus. The well known cowslip or paigle (P.offt- always kept in pot*. 



