THE PINK. .215 



He makes a magnificent picture of the manner in which he 

 cultivates his pinks j he does not put them into earthen pots ; 

 he does not support their branches with osier twigs or strips 

 o£ deal ; he puts them into ivory boxes, and fastens their 

 stalks to black wands by means of silver rings. 



The amateurs whose collections I have seen are far from 

 rmrrounding their pinks with similar luxury. Upon each of 

 the little osier sticks that serve as tutors to the pinks, they 

 place old broken pipes and lobsters' claws. I assure you that 

 at the first glance a collection of pinks is not a pretty sight. 

 These old pipes and lobsters' claws are not placed there solely 

 for ornament; perhaps even no idea of elegance or adornment 

 formed part of the reason for using them. The great enemy 

 of pinks is the forficuZa auricularia, better known by the' 

 name of earwig. The pipes and the claws are the traps, the 

 harbours ofiered to it, and in which it is surprised without 

 any suspicion of danger. 



