JSVElir WOMAN HER OWN FLOWER OARDENER. 75 



The best time to layer is when the plant, is in full bloom, which will 

 be about the middle of July, or according to the season. The shoot to 

 be layered may be four or five joints in length ; all the lower leaves next 

 to the root must be stripped off, leaving only those on the two or three 

 upper joints. The surface of the soil should be stirred up to the depth 

 of an inch; then take the shoot in the finger and thumb of the left 

 hand, and bend it upwards, so that the knife can enter a quarter of an 

 inch below the second or third joint from the top, and on the side of 

 the shoot next the ground ; cut upwards through the center of the joint, 

 slantingly for about half an inch. Now cut off the tip of the portion 

 underneath close to the joint. If it breaks off it is worthless as a layer, 

 so handle it very carefully, and lay the shoot into the soil, pegging it 

 down with a large hair pin. The root fibres are soonest formed when 

 the joint is but lightly covered with earth, not more than a quarter of 

 an inch. No more of the stem of the layer than just close to the joint, 

 nor any of the leaves should be buried in the soil, for the dampness Tvill 

 cause them to decay, and the whole layer will then damp off or decay. 



When the layer is pegged down, give it a gentle watering, taking care 

 not to wash off the soil. 



It is of no consequence if the layer does not stand straight at first. 

 It will soon grow so. 



If the plants are kept moist, and well shaded from the noonday heat, 

 the layers will be rooted in three or four weeks. They should then be 

 cut away from the plant, with about half an inch of the stem which 

 connects them to it, and planted in five-inch pots. 



Great care must be taken not to injure the tiny roots, nor break the 

 part of the stem above the incision. 



] a raising Carnations from cuttings, good healthy shoots should be 

 sell cted, and they should be treated as described for other cuttings. 



Layering and raising from cuttings are the surest modes of propagating 

 fine varieties. It is said that the chance of obtaining a good Carnation 

 from seed is one to a hundred. 



The culture of the Picotee, or Paisley Pink, is the same as that of the 

 Carnation. The Picotee is the hardier of the two, and will endure the 

 cold winters without covering, excepting at the extreme north. 



When the flower stems are ten or more inches high, they should be 

 supported with stakes, and when the flowers appear, if there is danger of 

 their bursting the calyx, and thus spoiling their symmetry, it is well to 



