dia'nthus. 



S3 



DICOTYLEDONOUS. 



gradually decreasing in size to the 

 centre, and the colours clear and 

 distinct, those -with a white ground 

 being preferred. The stripes should 

 also be broadest at the margin of each 

 petal, As the calyxes of Carnations 

 are very apt to burst on one side 

 before they open on the other, and 

 as this spoils the shape of the flower, 

 many cultivators gently divide the 

 sepals with a pin, as soon as the buds 

 are fully swelled ; and others slip a 

 round piece of card-board, with a 

 hole in the centre, over the bud 

 while it is yet quite small, and push 

 it up over the calyx, so as to force it 

 to open first at the top, This piece 

 of pasteboard is kept on after the ex- 

 pansion of the flower, and serves to 

 keep the petals in their proper places. 

 Others tie a strip of bast-mat round 

 the lower part of the buds, to pre- 

 vent them trom opening improperly. 

 The flower is also furnished with a 

 stake to tie it to, and a paper or tin 

 cap, to shade it from the sun. June 

 and July are the months for making 

 layers. For this purpose, the outer 

 strongest, and lowest shoots of the 

 plant should be preferred ; and each 

 shoot should be cut about half through, 

 in a slanting direction, at a joint. A 

 furrow should be made in the ground 

 an inch or two deep, in which the 

 cut stem should be buried, and fas- 

 tened down with a bit of hooked 

 twig, so as to have the wounded part 

 completely covered, and the end of 

 the layer upright, an inch or two out 

 of the earth. The layer should be 

 moderately watered as soon as it is 

 made, and the plant should be shaded 

 after the operation. It may be ob- 

 served with relation to Carnations 

 grown in pots, that as their stems are 

 generally very brittle when they are 

 moist and succulent, it may be as 

 well to set the pot in the hot sun for 

 about an hour before the layer is 

 made, to render the stalks flaccid. 



Carnations are also propagated by cut- 

 tings (see Pipings), and some sorts 

 are raised from seed. 



The Pink (Didnthus plumdrius) 

 is by some supposed to be a variety of 

 the Carnation ; but others make it a 

 distinct species, though it does not 

 appear to be known in a wild state. 

 There are many kinds, but only what 

 are called the laced pinks rank as 

 florist's flowers. The laced pinks, to 

 be esteemed by florists, should have 

 their flowers about two inches and a 

 half in diameter ; and the petals 

 should be white, with rose edges, 

 and a broad ring of rich dark purple 

 or crimson, as nearly black as possible, 

 in the centre ; the colours being all 

 strongly marked, and quite clear and 

 distinct. The culture of the laced 

 pink is exactly the same as that of the 

 Carnation ; but the common pinks 

 may be planted in the open garden, 

 i and treated exactly the same as the 

 j other hardy perennial border flowers, 

 j The Tree-pink (D.arboreus)is merely 

 a woody kind of Carnation ; and the 

 ; Mule-pink is a hybrid between the 

 ! Carnation and the Sweet William. 

 ! They both require only the common 

 j treatment of border flowers. The 

 1 leaves of all the kinds of Pinks and 

 j Carnations are called by gardeners 

 ' the grass. 



The greenhouse species of Diantbus 

 grow freely in light rich mould, with 

 a moderate allowance of air and water ; 

 and they do not require any particular 

 care in their culture. They are all 

 very ornamental, and they are pro- 

 pagated by cuttings, which strike 

 readily, and do not require bottom 

 heat. 



For the culture of Diantlius bar- 

 batus, see Sweet William. D. 

 chinensis, the Chinese Pink, is ge- 

 nerally treated as a hardy annual ; 

 but it may be preserved in dry scil 

 for two or three years. 



Dicotyledonous plan's are those, 

 g 2 



