Cultivation of the Carnation and Picotee. 361 



layers from the old plants, with about half an inch of the 

 stem that connects them with it ; then carefully dig up the 

 plants with your knife, if it happen to be about an inch 

 broad, or otherwise with a small trowel, and place a pair in 

 each pot, or three or four round the sides of pots of a larger 

 size ; fix them upright, and not so deep as to bury any portion 

 of the lower leaves ; it is better to pinch one or two off, or 

 they might decay, and sometimes injure the plants ; fill up 

 the pots, and strike them gently once or twice against the 

 ground ; water them lightly, but profusely, and place them 

 under large hand-glasses for ten days or a fortnight ; this will 

 encourage the roots to strike freely into the fresh soil, and 

 much promote their growth ; then take off the glasses, and 

 remove them to a sheltered and rather shady part of the gar- 

 den, where they can have a free cii'culation of air and about 

 three or four hours of the morning sun ; let them remain till 

 about the middle of November, when they may be removed 

 to their winter quarters. 



POTTING THE PLANTS FOR A BLOOM, 



At the commencement of April, after having exposed them 

 to the open air night and day for a week, replant them into 

 their flowering pots ; a 12-size will hold three or four, a 16 

 two or three. To insure a good drainage, cover the hole at 

 the bottom of the pot with potsherds, or an oyster-shell with 

 the hollow part downwards ; put in, an inch deep, fresh 

 horse-droppings ; above this, for two inches more, add coarse 

 riddlings of a compost containing maiden loam, horse-dung, 

 leaf-mould, and sharp sand ; then fill with a compost contain- 

 ing ten parts well-rotted flag dug from an old pasture where 

 the soil is heavy two years previous to use, five parts horse- 

 dung from the frames, one part coarse sand, and one part un- 

 burnt gypsum finely pulverized ; around the root and over 

 the top let this be sifted ; the pots should be filled to within 

 an inch of the rim ; strike the pots smartly once or twice on 

 the potting board, and place them upon boards raised upon 

 bricks, in an open, airy situation, under an arch of hoops, 

 over which mats can be thrown to protect them during frosty 



VOL. XIX, NO, VIII. 46 



