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 provision ! 
The plant blooming so late in the year would not have time 
to mature its seeds before winter; and is, therefore, so con- 
trived 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 
is — 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 out- 
side 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. The colours 
must be perfectly distinct, disposed in regular long stripes, 
broadest at the edge of the lamina, and gradually becoming 
narrower as they approach the unguis or base of the petal, 
there terminating in a fine point. Those that contain two 
colours upon a white ground arc esteemed the finest. 
The criterion of a double pink. — 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; 
colour white and pure purple, or rich crimson; the nearer it 
approaches to black the more is it esteemed; proportions 
