June.'] 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 



905 



vator of this flower, considered this a precarious method, and 

 informs us that five thousand plants were piped one season, of 

 which not above two hundred failed. Whereas, the year fol- 

 lowing, above two thousand failed out of the same number, 

 although, in both seasons, the cultivation had been the same, 

 without the least variation. He, however, observes, that some 

 sorts succeed by this mode better than by laying, but that it 

 requires great experience to distinguish such sorts from the 

 rest. The cultivator has often to have recourse to piping, 

 when the shoots are too short for laying, or where shoots may 

 be broken off, or sent him from a distance, of such sorts to 

 which he attaches a particular value. 



Piping is performed by preparing the pipings or cuttings of 

 the young shoots having two complete joints, that is, being 

 cut off horizontally close under the second joint ; the points 

 of the leaves are to be shortened, leaving the whole length of 

 the cutting from one inch and a half to two inches, or longer 

 according to its strength. Some cultivators pipe their carna- 

 tions by cutting them off under the third joint, but the second 

 is most generally preferred, as the third is more hard and 

 woody, and the pipings do not strike root so soon, nor form 

 afterwards such handsome plants. Accordingly as the pipings 

 are made, they should be put into a vessel of clean soft-water 

 for a few minutes, and as soon as possible planted in the bed 

 prepared for them, which should be as follows : A slight hot- 

 bed should be put up for them a few days previously to the 

 pipings being made, and covered with a few inches of fine 

 light rich compost, which should be rendered regular and 

 smooth, and slightly beaten down with the back of a spade. 

 The pipings being ready, the bed should be moistened mode- 

 rately, and the pipings taken out of the water, and inserted 

 into the bed singly, in their wet state, about half an inch deep. 

 No more of the bed should be moistened at once than is to be 

 filled with pipings immediately after, for if not done while moist, 

 the mould would become too compact for the pipings to enter, 

 which they should do freely without the use of a peg, as in 

 the way of putting in cuttings of plants generally. As soon 

 as the pipings are placed in the mould, they should be gently 

 watered to settle the mouk). fairly about their bases, and a belU 



