D I A 
The feventh fort is the common Sweet William, 
which has been long cultivated in the gardens for or- 
nament, of which there are now great varieties which 
differ in the form and colour of their flowers, as alfo 
in the fize and fhape of their leaves ; thofe which have 
narrow leaves were formerly titled Sweet Johns by the 
gardeners, and thofe with broad leaves were called 
Sweet Williams there are fome of both thefe forts 
with double flowers, which are very ornamental plants 
in gardens. 
The eighth fort grows naturally in the fouth of France, 
in Spain, Italy, and in England. This is an annual 
plant, which rifes with an upright (talk about a foot 
high, garnifhed with narrow grafiy leaves, and is ter- 
minated by a fmall head or duller of pale red flowers, 
which are included in one common fcaly empale- 
ment, Thefe have little beauty, fo the plants are 
feldom kept in gardens. 
The ninth fort is a biennial plant, which rifes with 
an upright ftalk a foot and a half high, having two 
long narrow leaves placed oppoflte at each joint, 
which embrace the ftalk with their bafe *, they are of 
a deep green colour, ftiff, and end in acute points. 
The flowers grow in clofe clufters at the top of the 
ftalks, having ftiff bearded empalements ; they are 
yellow and iron coloured intermixed on the fame 
ftalk, and frequently they are of both colours in the 
fame head. This plant flowers in July, and the feeds 
ripen in autumn. 
The tenth fort came originally from China, fo it is 
titled the China Pink j the flowers of this have no 
fcent, but there are a great variety of lively colours 
among them ; and of late years there has been great 
improvements made in the double flowers of this fort, 
fome of which are as full of petals as the double Pink, 
and their colours are very rich. The plants feldom 
grow more than eight or nine inches high, branching 
out on every fide ; the branches grow ereft, and are 
terminated each by a Angle flower. Thefe flower in 
July, and continue in fucceflion till the froft Hops 
them ; they are commonly raifed every year from 
feeds, but the roots will continue two years in dry 
ground. 
The eleventh fort is found growing naturally upon 
old walls and buildings in many parts of England ; 
this is a Angle fmall Pink, of a fweet odour, but of a 
pale colour and final], fo makes no appearance ; and 
iince the great improvement which has been made in 
thefe flowers by culture, this has been entirely ne- 
glefted. 
The twelfth fort grows naturally on the Alps. This 
hath round, fhort, blunt leaves*, the ftalks feldom 
rife more than four inches high, each being terminated 
by a Angle flower of a pale red colour. It is fome- 
times preferved in botanic gardens for the fake of va- 
riety, but is rarely admitted into other gardens. 
The thirteenth fort grows naturally in •Germany and 
Denmark ; the leaves of this fort are like thofe of 
the narrow-leaved Sweet William ; the ftalk rifes 
more than a foot high, and is terminated by a Angle 
flower, having five large petals of a pale red colour, 
which are cut into many long fegments. The roots 
of this fort will live three or four years, but the fecond 
year from feeds they are in greatell beauty *, there- 
fore as the feeds ripen well in England, young plants 
fhould be annually raifed. 
The fourteenth fort is a very diminutive plant, hav- 
ing fhort narrow leaves growing in clofe heads ; the 
ftalk feldom rifes fix inches high, which is terminated 
by a Angle flower, of a pale red colour, fo has little 
beauty, therefore is only kept in botanic gardens for 
variety. 
The forts here enumerated, are fuch as the botanifts 
allow to be diftinct fpecies ; and all the varieties of fine 
flowers, which are now cultivated in the gardens of 
the curious, are only accidental variations which have 
been produced by culture ; and the number of thefe are 
greatly increafed annually, in many, different parts of 
Europe *, fo that as new varieties are obtained, the old 
flowers are rejected. 
D I A 
The plants of this genus may be properly enough 
divided into three fe&ions. The firft to include all the 
variety of Pinks, the fecond all the Carnations, and 
the third thofe of the Sweet William ; for although 
thefe agree fo nearly in their principal characters, as 
to be included tinder the fame genus by the- botanifts, 
yet they never vary from one to the other, though 
they frequently change and vary in the colour of their 
flowers. 
I fliall now proceed to treat of thefe under their dif- 
ferent fedlions, and firft I fliall begin with the Pink, 
of which there are a great variety now cultivated in 
the gardens ; the principal of which are, the damafk 
Pink, the white Shock, the Pheafant Eye, with dou- 
ble and Angle flowers, varying greatly in their fize 
and colour ; the common red Pink, Cob’s Pink, 
Dobfon’s Pink, white Cob Pink, and Bat’s Pink. 
The old Mari’s Head, and painted Lady Pink, ra- 
ther belong to the Carnation. 
The damafk Pink is the firft of the double forts in 
flower. This hath but a fhort ftalk ; the flower is not 
very large, and not fo double as many others ; the co- 
lour is of a pale purple, inclining to red, but is very 
fweet. 
The next which flowers is the white Shock, which 
was fo called from the whitenefs of its flowers, and 
the borders of the petals being much jagged and 
fringed ; the fcent of this is. not fo agreeable as of 
fome others. 
Then comes all the different kinds of Pheafants Eye, 
of which there are frequently new varieties raifed, 
which are either titled from the perfons who railed 
them, or the place where they were raifed *, fome of 
thefe have very large double flowers, but thofe which 
burft their pods are not fo generally efteemed. 
The Cob Pink comes after thefe to flower ; the ftalks 
of this are much taller than thofe of any of the for- 
mer ; the flowers are very double, and of a bright red 
colour ; thefe have the moft agreeable odour of all the 
forts, fo merits a place in every good garden. The 
time of the Pinks flowering is from the latter end of 
May to the middle of July, and frequently that fort of 
Pheafant Eye, which is called Bat’s Pink, wiH flower 
again in autumn. 
The old Man’s Head Pink, and the painted Lady, 
do not flower till July, coming at the fame feafon 
with the Carnation, to which they are more nearly al- 
lied than the Pink. The firft when it is in its proper 
colours, is purple and white ftriped and fpotted, but 
this frequently is of one plain colour which is pur- 
ple *, this fort will continue flowering till the froft in 
autumn puts a ftop to it, and the flowers having an 
agreeable fcent, renders them valuable. The painted 
Lady is chiefly admired for the livelinefs of its co- 
lour, for it is not fo fweet, or of fo long continuance 
as the other. 
The common Pinks are propagated either by feeds, 
which is the way to obtain new varieties, or by mak- 
ing layers of them, as is practifed for Carnations j or 
by planting flips, which, if carefully managed, will 
take root very well. 
If they are propagated by feeds, there fhould be 
care taken in the choice of them, and only the feeds 
of the beft forts faved, where the perfons are curious 
to have the fineft flowers. Thefe feeds may be fown 
in the fpring, and the plants afterward treated in the 
fame manner as is hereafter dire&ed for the Carnation ; 
with this difference only, that as the Pinks are lefs 
tender, they may be more hardily treated. Thofe 
which are propagated by layers, muft be alfo ma- 
naged as the Carnation, for which there are full in- 
ftruftions hereafter given. The old Man’s Head and 
painted Lady Pinks, are commonly propagated this 
way, but moft of the other forts are propagated from 
flips. 
The beft time to plant the flips of Pinks is about, 
end of July, when, if there fhould happen rain, it 
will be of great fervice to them ; but if the weather 
fhould prove dry, they will require to be watered 
every other day, until they have taken root * thefe 
fhould 
