C A 



C A 



which burfl: their Pods ; b^t efpe- 

 cially thofe round Flowers which 

 have broad Stripes of beautiful Co- 

 lours, and round Rofe - leaves, of 

 which Kinds there have been a great 

 Variety introduced from France, 

 within thefe few Years; but as thefe 

 French Flowers are extremely apt to 

 degenerate to plain Colours, and be- 

 ing much tenderer than thofe which 

 are brought up in England, the re are 

 not fuch great Prices given for the 

 Plants now, as have been a few 

 Years paft : from the prefent Taftc 

 for thefe whole - blowing Flake- 

 flowers, many of the old Varieties, 

 which had been turned out of the 

 Gardens of the Florilts, many Years 

 ago, to make room for the large 

 Flowers, which were then in Faihion, 

 have been received again ; and large 

 Prices have been paid cf lace for 

 fuch Flowers as fome Years ago were 

 fold for one Shilling a Dozen, or 

 lefs ; which is a Urong Proof of the 

 Variablenefs of the Fancies of the 

 Florifts. 



But I mail now proceed to give 

 fome Directions for propagating thefe 

 Flowers by Layers, and the nccef- 

 fary Care to be taken, in order to 

 blow them fair and large. 



The beft Seafon for laying thefe 

 Flowers is in June, as foon as the 

 Shoots are ftrong enough for that 

 Purpofe, which is performed in the 

 following manner : after having 

 flript off the Leaves from the lower 

 Part of the Shoot intended to be 

 laid, make choice of a itrong Joint 

 about the middle Part of the Shoot, 

 not too near the Heart of the Shoot, 

 nor in the hard Part next the old 

 Plant; then with your Penknife 

 make a Slit in the Aiiddle cf the 

 Shoot from the Joint upward half- 

 way to the other Joint, or more, 

 according to their Diftance ; then 

 with your Knife cut the Tops of 



the Leaves, and alfo cut off* the 

 fwelling Part of the Joint where the 

 Slit is made, lb that the Part flit 

 may be fhaped like a Tongue: that 

 outward Skin being pared off, which, 

 if left on, would prevent their 

 pufhing out of Roots; then, having 

 loofened the Earth round the Flam, 

 and, if need be, raifed it with frelh 

 Mould, that it may be level with, 

 the Shoot intended to be laid, left 

 by forcing down the Shoot you fplit 

 it off ; with your Finger make 

 an hollow Place in the Earth, juft 

 where the Shoot is to come, and with 

 your Thumb and Finger bend the 

 Shoot gently into the Earth, obferv- 

 lng to keep the Top as upright as 

 pomble, that the Slit may be open ; 

 and being provided with forked 

 Sticks for that Purpofe. thruft it 

 into the Ground, fo that the forked 

 Part may take hold of the Layer, 

 in order to keep it down in its pro- 

 per Place ; then gently cover the 

 Shank of. the Layer with the fame 

 Sort of Earth, giving it. a gentle 

 Watering, to fettle the Earth about 

 it, obferving to repeat the fame as 

 often as is neccfiary, in order to 

 promote their rooting. In about 

 five or fi * Weeks after this, the Layers 

 will have taken Root fufficient to 

 be tranfplanted ; againit which time 

 you lhouid be provided with proper 

 Earth for them, which may be com- 

 pofed after the following manner : 



Make choice of fome good up- 

 land Paiture, or a Common that is 

 of an hazel Earth, or light fandy 

 Loam , dig from . the Surface of 

 this your Earth about eight Inches 

 deep, taking all the Turf with it ; 

 let this be laid in an Heap to rot and 

 mellow, turning it once a Month, 

 that it may fweeten ; then mix about 

 a Third-part *of rotten Neats-dung, 

 or, for want of that, fome rotten 

 Dung from a Cucumber or Melon- 

 bed ; 



