HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 85 



but in habit of plant and abundance of flower, and tills family offers to 

 the lovers of flowers a fine opportunity for producing many splendid exam- 

 ples of the willingness of nature to bend to our wishes, so long as we do 

 not interfere with her unchangeable and primitive laws. 



As the Pink in its best character is an established Florist's Flower, like 

 all other families of the same designation, there are acknowledged criteria 

 of excellence to judge its qualities by. It is also divided into four classes 

 as follows, Purple Laced, Red Laced, Dark Eyed, and Red Eyed. The 

 laced classes have besides the dark centre, a neat lacing or belt, surrounding 

 the outer edge of each petal, while the eyed varieties do not possess it. 



The following is the criterion of a srood Pink. The stem should be elas- 

 tic, and strong enough to support the flower without drooping, not less than 

 ten to twelve inches high, which will elevate it above the foliage. The ca- 

 lyx or pod ought to be proportionately long, straight, and not too narrow, 

 but correspond with the size of the flower, the base nicely rounded off 

 towards the stem, the upper divisions equal in size, not incurved but rather 

 turned outwards, so that the flower may expand freely and without bursting 

 out at the side. The flower should be not less than two inches in diameter. 

 The petals should be broad, flat, and substantial, the nearer they approach 

 the form of a rose leaf the better. There are few varieties that are per- 

 fectly free from indentation on the edges, but it is highly desirable that 

 they should be. It is not desirable for the flower to be too double, but 

 there ought to be a sufficient number of rows of petals to show symmetry 

 without being crowded, each row being smaller in size than the next below, 

 lying over each other in a regular imbricated form. The eye or central 

 dark portion may form about one fourth of the diameter of the flower, and 

 if a laced kind, the belting should be even, and equal in breadth, surround- 

 ing the outer edge of each petal, and uniting with the eye. Whatever the 

 color, it ought to be uniform, rich and solid. In the Purple, a rich purplish 

 maroon, and in the Red, the nearer approach to scarlet, the better. In an 

 Eyed variety, the color should be confined entirely to the eye, the outer 

 edges of which must form a circle well defined. In all the class the white 

 ought to be clear and distinct, without blemish. 



Propagation is most readily accomplished in this climate by layering in 

 in the same way as the Carnation, and about the middle of July is the most 

 suitable time. If the base of the shoots be merely covered with earth t 

 roots will be emitted after a time, but if a little extra trouble is used with 

 each individual layer, and the slit made longitudinally on the under side, 

 commencing at the bark, and cutting up the third of an inch through the 

 middle, a better plant is obtained. If it is desired to have the flowers in 



