120 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENS 
The soil should be rich and deep. Cover the crowns 
of the roots to a depth of two inches, and give them 
an abundance of water during the growing season. In 
autumn give the plants a heavy mulch of coarse manure; 
the following spring remove the coarsest material and 
fork the fine manure into the soil. During the summer, 
lawn clippings may be thrown about the plant to retain 
moisture and keep down weeds and grass under the 
leaves. 
PINKS 
The sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) grows a foot 
or more high; the flowers are pink, red, and white. It is 
common in old gardens, where the roots have stood for 
years. The rich and variegated flowers produce an excel- 
lent effect in beds or borders. To obtain strong plants 
with large blooms it is better to grow from seeds sown 
early in the spring than to propagate by dividing old 
roots. Dianthus chinensis produces very fragrant flowers 
and is an excellent border plant, growing to a height of 
from six to eight inches. Dianthus plumarius, the double 
garden pink, has a dwarf and compact habit and bears 
fragrant double flowers of deep red, pink, and purple- 
white. It is a good border plant, the blooming period 
being in May and June. The Scotch pink, with its fringed 
petals, is an excellent plant for the rock garden. All the 
dianthuses are quite hardy; they like the sun and will 
thrive in any good soil. They may be reproduced either 
from seed or from roots. 
