THE LIFE -HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



367 



his plants in a suitable soil and winter them in a eold 

 frame, than run the risk of planting them out and 

 not getting them estahlished before the winter sets 

 in. The latter is a matter of vital importanee in the 

 suecessful culture of this tine old flower. 



The propagation of the Pink is accomplished by 

 means of pipings or cuttings. To do this effectually 

 a piping-bod is necessary, which is made up of stable 

 manure, or this and leaves mixed together. The bed is 

 built upas one would a hot-bed, and the time allowed 

 between doing tliis and piping is no more than is 

 requisite, to get rid of the heat, none being required 

 for the pipings. The compost necessary for the pur- 

 pose should be previously prepared — it needs to be 

 sharp and sandy ; a good one is made up of half road 

 scrapings from a gravelled road, a good proportion of 

 sharp sand, and the remainder of decomposed leaf- 

 mould and a little turfy loam. 



Pipings are' made from what is termed the " grass " 

 thrown out round the sides of the plants. These can 

 be slipped off by the hand, stripping the foliage from 

 the stem to the third joint, and then with a sharp 

 knife cutting it off close under the bottom joint, 

 taking care not to injm-e the buds. The pipings 

 thus prepared are placed in water to stiffen, in order 

 that they may be more easily planted in the ground. 

 I'reviously to this the soil is placed on the bed to the 

 depth of four or five inches, and then the pipings are 

 pricked into the soil about an inch apart, and 

 arranged in groups according to the shape and size 

 of the hand-glasses used to cover them ; and ha\-ing 

 filled the requisite space, they should have a sligbt 

 sprinkling with water, and the hand-glass placed 

 over them, but not close down until the wet has 

 dried from the foliage. The pipings must be shaded 

 from the mid-day sun, and this is best done by 

 placing hoops, covered with light calico, over the 

 glasses. These shades should remain over the cut- 

 tings for a considerable portion of the day when the 

 sun shines brightly. After six or eight weeks have 

 passed the glasses may be removed entirely, and in 

 seven or eight days more the young plants may be 

 planted out in a prepared bed to strengtlien. pre- 

 paratory to being planted out in autumn in the 

 blooming-beds. 



The following varieties form a very useful selec- 

 tion of laced Pinks: — 



Beitram . 

 Boyard. 



Charles Turuer. 

 Clara. 

 Christabel . 

 Dr. Macleau. 

 Emerald. 

 Ernest. 

 Galopiu. 

 Godfrey. 

 Harry Hooper. 

 Jessica. 

 Jolin Ball. 

 John Buxton. 



Lady Craven. 

 Mincroa. 

 Mr. Hobbs. 

 Mrs. Howartli. 

 Mrs. Waite. 



Prince Frederick Wil- 

 liam. 

 Eeliance. 

 Eosy Gem. 

 Eosy Morn. 

 Sarah. 



Shirley Hibberd 

 Victory. 

 William Paul. 



Forcing Pinks.— There is a useful section of 

 I'inks, including a few very choice and fragrant varie- 

 ties, that are of great value for the forcing into bloom 

 pre\'ious to the ordinary Pinks flowering. And in 

 order to have these well in bloom, it is essential to 

 have them thoroughly established in pots ; and they 

 should be brought on gradually, but not forced too 

 much, and especially not in too great a heat ; and 

 they should be placed as near the glass as possible, and 

 have a little weak manure- water about twice a week. 



This class of Pinks should be prepared as soon as 

 pipings can be obtained, and they will be found to 

 strike freely in a gentle bottom heat. So soon as 

 they have struck root and will bear re-potting, they 

 need to be shifted, and by-and-by planted out in a 

 bed during the summer, and potted up early in the 

 autumn to bloom. A few of the best of these are : — 



Anne Boleyu. 

 Ascot. 



Clifton White. 

 Derby Day. 



Lord Lyons. 

 Mrs. Simkins. 

 Kewmarket. 

 Eubens. 



THE LIFE-HISTOEY OF PLANTS. 



By Dr. Maxwell T. Masters, F.E.S. 



GROWTH. 



AS a consequence of the processes of mitrition 

 which have been sketched in previous sections, 

 Ave have now to consider the phenomena of growth. 

 In the first place we must make a distinction be- 

 tween growth, extension, and development. Though 

 inseparably connected, these processes are dift'erent ; 

 moreover, the difference is practically important, 

 because the conditions requisite for the one are not 

 the same as for the other. 



By growth is meant increase in bulk, the result of 

 the formation of new tissues ; old cells divide, or 

 bud out into new ones, and so the organ increases in 

 size without any necessary change of structm'e or 

 other difference than that of size. 



By extension is meant mere elongation or stretch- 

 ing without the addition of new material. 



By de\'elopment is meant a progressive change in 

 internal structure and external form from a simpler 

 to a more complex condition — a change that becomes 

 requisite to enable the plant or any of its i^arts to 

 fulfil different offices. 



To start with, all plants consist of a mass of pro- 

 toplasm which ultimately becomes shut up in one 

 cell. In due course the protoplasm divides, the old 

 cell-waU disappears, new ones are formed around 

 each of the divisions of the protoplasm, and thus an 

 aggregate of cells of similar size and form is pro- 

 duced. "SVe might suppose a plant of such humble 

 organisation growing in this way, without further 



