496 THE PLEASURE GARDEN. [MAY. 



ing of auricula plants be an object, they should be 

 fresh earthed at top, whenever they begin to put out 

 radicals on the surface, which is generally about the 

 time the flowers begin to fade. In doing this, ob- 

 serve the directions for fresh earthing in March ; 

 and bank it well up to the stems of the plants, that 

 the slips may the better push fibres into it ; at the 

 same time dressing off a few of the bottom leaves, 

 and any that are decayed. 



Carnations and fine Pinks. 



Carnations and pinks, either in pots, or in the 

 open ground, must be duly attended to with water 

 in dry weather ; watering those in pots generally 

 once a-day, and those in the ground once in two or 

 three days, according to the state of the weather. 

 If the surface of the earth in the pots be anywise 

 hard, or incrusted, let it be stirred often, as already 

 noticed. 



If those in pots were placed in a situation shaded 

 from the mid-day sun, (not, however, in a north 

 aspect,) their flower-stalks would shoot slower, but 

 stronger, in consequence. These must be supported 

 to neat sticks as they advance ; and if you would 

 have few flowers, and large, rather than many, and 

 middle-sized, cut off all but the uppermost flower- 

 buds, as they appear. At any rate, in order to have 

 carnations and pinks flower in tolerable perfection, 

 more than two or three buds should not be allowed 

 to remain on one stalk ; that is, the uppermost, and 

 on each side at most. 



