108 



CARNATIONS AND PINKS. \_June, July. 



flowers, and seeds, is altogether singular, and may be termed 

 an anomaly of nature. In producing the new bulbs or off- 

 sets, in a very curious manner the old one perishes. The 

 flowers, which arise with long slender tubes from the root, 

 die off in October, without leaving any external appearance 

 of seeds. These lie buried all the winter within the bulb; 

 in spring they throw up a fruit stalk, and are ripe about the 

 first of June. How beautiful and admirable is this provi- 

 sion I The plant blooming so late in the year would not 

 have time to mature its seeds before winter; and is, there- 

 fore, so contrived that it may be performed out of the reach 

 of the usual effects of frost, and they are brought above the 

 surface when perfected, and at a proper season for sowing. 



CARNATIONS AND PINKS. 



In order to make the former flower well, if the weather is 

 dry, give them frequent waterings at the root, and tie them 

 up neatly to their rods. The criterion of a fine Carnation 

 4^— The stem strong and straight, from thirty to forty inches 

 high; the corolla three inches in diameter, consisting of large, 

 round, well-formed petals, but not so many as to crowd it, 

 nor so few as to make it appear thin or empty; the outside 

 petals should rise above the calyx about half an inch, and 

 then turn off in a horizontal direction, to support the interior 

 petals, they forming nearly a hemispherical corolla. The 

 interior petals should decrease in size toward the centre, all 

 regularly disposed on every side; they should have a small 

 degree of concavity at the lamina or broad end, the edges 

 perfectly entire. The calyx above one inch in length, with 

 strong broad points in a close and circular body. Tlie colors 

 must be perfectly distinct, disposed in reguhir long stripes, 

 broadest at the edge of the lamina, and gradually becoming 

 narrower as they approach the unguis or base oi" the petal, 

 there terminating in a fine point. Those that contain two 

 colors upon a white ground are esteemed the finest. 



The criterion of a clouhle j^i^^- — The stem about twelve 

 inches, the calyx smaller, but similar to a carnation; the 

 flower two inches and a half in diameter; petals rose edges; 

 color vrhite and pure purple, or rich crimson; the nearer it 

 approaches to black the more is it esteemed; proportions 



