254 
THE PINK. 
passes ; and by a peg fixed in one of several 
holes, it is kept firm. The advantage of this 
is, that the shade can be thrown over the glass 
in a moment, and taken off morning and 
evening, leaving the glass, which protects 
the flower from wind and rain, and gives 
it the benefit of all the light. The shades 
F^3 
may be made of pasteboard, or paper, or 
may consist of a cabbage leaf, or any other 
object that will keep away the sun. A sort of 
shade is represented by the cuts 3 and 4. The 
pegs are placed about two inches higher than 
the flower, and the glass shading dropped on to 
Fig. 5. 
Fig. 6. 
Fig. 7. 
the stick; figs. 5, 6, and 7. The shades should be 
always handy. In a cloudy day they are better 
off than on, but they should be always put on 
when the sun is out, and indeed, in light, clear 
weather, and when the bloom is advancing to- 
wards perfection there should always be a 
shade, if it be only a slight one, like part of a 
newspaper. In very hot weather the shading 
must be heavier. "We have seen shades painted 
green and lead colour, but they cannot be too 
pure a white, for dark colours absorb heat, and 
form an oven for the flower, at the same time 
that they keep off the bright rays of the sun, 
and close heat is nearly as destroying as sun- 
heat. In proof of the advantage of light 
colours, try the experiment of painting one 
tin shade white; and another black, place them 
in a hot sun, and you will hardly be able to 
hold the black one, while the white one will 
not be hot. As the petals begin to open, the 
large or ground petals should be carefully placed 
down on the card, so as to form an outer layer, 
like a dish almost, and these should in a good 
flower form a circular outline ; they will not 
all do so, and indeed, those which are very 
perfect in this particular are at present rare. 
The next in size, -as they open, should be 
brought down in a similar manner, and the 
centre of each should cover the join where 
the two outer or lower ones meet and fold 
over. In like manner, as the flower advances, 
a third row should be disposed, so as to hide 
the joins in the row below, and if a fourth or 
fifth row could be formed of good well rounded 
petals, there is no reason why it should not be 
done ; but there will mostly be some confused 
petals in the middle ; pull out such as are 
really useless, or are all of one colour, for a 
run petal, that is, a petal, however small it 
may be, without white in it, would be fatal to 
the whole stand of flowers, although only in 
one bloom. When the flower is cut, and 
wanted for the stand, the petals having been 
placed as they grew out, will require very 
little dressing — perhaps hardly want touch- 
ing ; see that a crown is formed if possible 
with a couple of petals back to back, or two 
or three small ones standing up ; and be 
careful to preserve the horns of the flower, if 
there be any, for it adds so much to the grace 
and elegance of a pink, that one might almost 
be pardoned for making it a point in the pro- 
perties : but there are exceptions ; they are 
sometimes ugly, and must come away ; they 
are at other times unnecessary, on account of 
the high and handsome crown formed by the 
petals ; and now and then the horns are dis- 
coloured, and in no wise improve the appear- 
ance of the flower. 
PIPING THE PINK FOR PROPAGATION. 
At and after blooming, the grass, as it is 
called, at the bottom of the flower stem, that 
is to say, the shoots of the plant, that would, 
if left, bloom next year, and form a large old 
plant, should be taken off and struck under a 
hand-glass, on slight bottom heat on very rich 
soil. Make up a hot-bed, with about eighteen 
inches in height after settling, of hot stable- 
