JUNE. 



67 



CARjYATIOjVS .WD PINKS. 



Shade tliese flov/er?, and continue to support the 

 stalks by tying them to stakes ; water them about 

 three times a week. When the carnation ilower 

 pods begin to burst, assist them by making two or 

 three incisions in the skin of the pod with a sharp 

 penknife, from the top half way down — the flowers 

 will open more regular and beautiful for this opera- 

 tion. Carnations and pinks may now be propagated 

 by layers, thus. Take shoots of this year's growth 

 that are fite or six inches long — strip the leaves off 

 nearly to the top — clear away weeds about the mo- 9^ 

 ther plant ; loosen the earth and make a bed of earth 

 high enough to receive the shoots when bent down — 

 secj.ire them in their places with a hooked stick, and 

 cover them with four or nve inches more earth — 

 before the shoots are bent down, a slit must be made; 

 in each, extending about half way frt-iii the lowest 

 joint towards the next, and two inches of the top of 

 eacli shoot cut off: they will blow next summer. 



Carnations and pinks raised this year from seed, 

 may be pricked out this month into nursery beds of 

 good earth, well dug and raked even ; place the plants 

 about six inches asunder and water them. 



PERE.XMAL A.YD BIEJVj^riAL FLOWERS. 



Those that were sown in pril or May, may be 

 pricked out (into nursery be ' rryt six inches apart 

 and watered— in the fall they maj be removed from 

 the nursery to the borders where they are to flower 

 next year. 



propagatiojY by piping. 



This month, pinks, carnations, kc. may be propa- 

 gated by pipings, thus^ — cut the upper parts of young 

 shoots that have two or three joints on each cutting^ — 

 cut them close below a joint— pull gently, and the 



