428 History and Culture of the Carnation. 



and no more glass erected than what is shown \xijig. 77. It is 

 further to be observed, that so few hands will only serve for 

 keeping the garden in order on the principle of the division 

 of labour, and on that of letting the greater part of the work 

 by the job. It is astonishing what may be done in this way 

 in a private gentleman's garden, provided such terms are 

 given as will enable the jobber to earn a few more shillings 

 per week than he could do by ordinary day's wages. ' For all 

 the more difficult or nice operations of gardening, however, 

 this mode of proceeding is by no means to be recommended ; 

 but it might, with great advantage, be introduced for certain 

 portions of work in every garden whatever. In some of the 

 cleanest and best kept nurseries that we know, great part of 

 the work is done in this way. 



When we contrived the foregoing designs of the Birmingham 

 garden, in May, 1831, we left copies of Jigs. 71, 72, and 74, 

 and thought that we had sufficiently explained these designs 

 to the committee and the curator. To our surprise, however, 

 on returning from Scotland, in September of the same year, 

 we found that a straight range of hot-houses had been deter- 

 mined on ; and a plan and elevation of this range have been 

 subsequently shown to us. We entirely disapprove of it, and 

 of its position in the garden ; and we have no hesitation what- 

 ever in saying that we consider the whole of our design 

 completely spoiled, as the general effect depended entirely on 

 the glass-houses being circular in the plan. We only regret 

 that the committee have adopted our circuitous line of main 

 walk (which, indeed, we staked out when on the spot), because 

 we dislike exceedingly the idea of having our name associated 

 in any degree, however slight, with a garden which, though it 

 might have been one of the most perfect in its kind existing 

 any where, and altogether unique in some of its arrangements, 

 is now bungled, and never likely to reflect credit on any one 

 connected with it. 



Art. V. On the History and Culture of the Carnation. By 

 Edward Rudge, Esq. F.R.S. F.S.A. F.L.8. and F.H.S., Presi- 

 dent of the Vale of Evesham Horticultural Society. Read 

 at the Meeting of the Society, July 24. 1828.* 



- Under the genus Dianthus of Linnaeus are classed the car- 

 nation, the pink, the picotee, and the sweetwilliam, with all 



* The papers of the president were not written for competition for the 

 medal, but for the purpose of inducing other members of the Society to 

 give communications on such subjects of improved modes of culture as, by 

 experience, had been proved to be successful and preferable. 



