ON florists' flowers. 



55 



anticipating the flowering of the seedhngs, especially if the 

 flowers from which the seed was obtained had been cross-fertilised. 

 By far the best results may be expected from seed obtained by 

 carefully transferring the pollen of one good variety to the 

 stigmatic part of the flower of another, but, in doing this, it is 

 well not to mix the classes. Selfs should be cross-fertilised with 

 Selfs, Fancies with Fancies, &c. 



The seed should be sown in the spring, in a frame or green- 

 house, and the plants treated much like small, half-hardy annuals, 

 as Stocks and Asters. The seedlings should be pricked out about 

 3in. asunder. They should be finally transplanted in the summer 

 and autumn on to good, deep, well-enriched garden soil, allowing 

 1 5 in. between the plants. Such seedlings will produce from about 

 one hundred to two hundred blossoms on each plant. Nearly all 

 the Border Carnations are propagated by layering. This is done 

 in the autumn, or as soon as the flowers are past. Some fine 

 soil is prepared, consisting of good loam, leaf-mould, and sand 

 in about equal portions, while some of the earth should be removed 

 from the base of the plant. The lower leaves should be stripped 

 from the growths clustering round the base of the flower-stems. 

 These growths are termed the "grass." An incision with a 

 sharp knife should next be made into the stem at a joint, which 

 should be cut through, and the layer pegged firmly into the 

 prepared soil. As many as a dozen of these layers may be 

 found at the base of one plant. They will be ready to be 

 severed from the plants six weeks after layering, and they may 

 be planted out in the open garden, or potted up into small pots 

 to be kept in frames through the winter. 



Cuttings, or slips, may also be taken from Border Carnations, 

 and be struck in close hand-lights or garden-frames with just a 

 little bottom-heat. Only such growths as are too high up the 

 stem to be layered should be treated in this way. Tree or 

 Perpetual-Flowering Carnations are generally propagated by slips, 

 as being the most convenient. 



The Carnation is a perfectly hardy plant, and succeeds very 

 well indeed in the open borders of the flower-garden, or in beds 

 specially prepared for them. When the time arrives for taking 

 off the layers, the ground in the flower-garden should be in 

 a condition to receive them. Some amateurs do not think it is 

 necessary to prepare the soil until the plants are ready to go 

 out ; but to do the Carnation well, the ground ought to be freely 

 exposed to sun and air for at least six weeks previously; the 



