r> i a 
being broken, and to take off the pods which pro- 
ceed from the fide of the ftalks, leaving only the top 
bud to flower, if they are intended to be large and 
fair ; and when the flowers begin to open, if they 
are fcreened from the fun in the heat of the day, and 
alfo from wet, they will continue much longer in 
beauty. 
But although the moft valuable of thefe flowers are 
ufuafty planted in pots, and thus carefully treated, yet 
many of thefe whole blowing flowers may be planted 
in beds, or borders of the flower-garden, where they 
are feme of the principal ornaments during their 
continuance in flower, which is from the beginning 
of July till the middle of Auguft, efpecially if the 
feveral colours are properly intermixed j for the Flakes 
and Bizarrs Aronl'd be intermixed with the Picquettes, 
and not planted feparate, unfefs where they are de- 
figned for faving the feeds ; in which cafe, thofe 
which are the fined; of each fort, fhould be planted 
in beds at a diftance from each other, efpecially 
where perfons are defirous to keep them difrinft •, for 
where the forts are blended together, there will be 
an admixture of their farina, fo that the feeds will 
vary, and not produce the particular kinds *, though 
I do not remember ever to have feen any Flake flowers 
arife from feeds of the Picquettes, nor vice versa. 
The flowers which are planted in the full ground, 
generally produce feeds better than thofe in pots ; 
but whoever propofes to raile a fupply of new flowers 
from feeds, muft always obferve to fave the bed; of 
their feedling flowers for this purpofe ; for it is well 
known, that after any of thefe flowers have been a 
few years propagated by layers, they become barren, 
and do not feed ; which is alfo the cafe with moft 
other plants which are propagated by flips, layers, or 
cuttings •, fo that the young plants which have been 
newly obtained from feeds, are always the moft pro- 
duftive of feeds ; the plants which are propagated by 
layers or flips, will always continue to produce the 
fame flowers, fo that when a fine variety is obtained, 
it is this way propagated and maintained •, but all the 
new varieties come from feeds, fo that all thofe who 
are curious in thefe flowers, annually fow their feeds. 
I {hall next proceed to the culture of that fpecies, 
which is commonly known by the title of Sweet Wil- 
liam ; of this there are a great variety of different 
colours, which are Angle, and three or four with double 
flowers : fome of thele have narrow leaves, which 
were formerly titled Sweet Johns, but of late that 
diftinftion has not been made, becaufe they are found 
to vary when raifed from feeds. 
Some of the Angle flowers have very rich colours, 
which frequently vary in thofe of the fame bunch ; 
there are others with fine variegated flowers, and 
others whofe middles are of a foft red, bordered with 
white, which are called Painted Ladies ; but where 
perfons are defirous to preferve any of thefe varieties 
in perfection, the beft flowers of each fhould be par- 
ticularly marked, and no other permitted to ftand 
near them, left their farina fhould impregnate them, 
which would caufe them to vary. 
That which is called the Painted Lady Sweet Wil- 
liam, is a very beautiful variety ; the ftalks of this 
do not rife fo high as moft of the other ; the bunches 
of flowers are larger, and produced more in the form 
of an umbel, the flowers Handing equal in height, 
make a better appearance : there are others whofe 
ftalks rife three feet high, and the flowers of a very 
deep red or fcarlet colour. Thefe all flower at the 
fame time with the Carnations, which renders them 
Ids valuable, becaufe they have no fcent. 
The Angle kinds of thefe flowers are generally pro- 
pagated by feeds, which muft be fown the latter end 
of March or the beginning of April, in a bed of 
light earth, and in June they will be fit to tranfplant 
out ; at which time you muft prepare fome beds 
ready for them, and fet them at fix inches diftance 
every way : in thefe beds they may remain till Mi- 
chaelmas, at which time they may be tranfplanted 
into the borders of the pleafure-garden or wildernefs. 
D I A 
Thefe will flower the next year in June, and 
their feeds in Auguft, which you fhould fave from 
the beft coloured flowers for a fupply. 
They may be alfo propagated by flipping their roots 
at Michaelmas ^ but this is feldom p radii fed, fince 
their feedling roots will always blow the ftrongeft, and 
new varieties are obtained yearly. 
The four forts with double flowers are, i . The broad- 
leaved fort, which hath very double flowers, of a 
deep purple colour inclining to blue, which burfts its 
pods, fo that it is not fo much efteemed as the others, 
and therefore has been lefs regarded, and is now aL 
moft totally banifhed the gardens of the curious. 
2. The Double Rofe Sweet William, whofe flowers 
are of a fine deep Rofe colour^ and fmell fweet ; this 
is much valued for the beauty and fweetnefs of its 
flowers ; the empalement (or pods) of thefe flowers 
never burft, fo the flowers remain with their petals 
fully expanded, and do not hang down loofely as 
thofe of the former. 3. The Mule, or Fairchild’s 
Sweet William ; it hath narrower leaves than either 
of the former, and is of that variety called Sweet 
John ; this was faid to have been produced from feeds 
of a Carnation, which had been impregnated by the 
farina of the Sweet William ; the flowers of this are 
of a brighter red colour than either of the former, 
their bunches are not quite fo large, but the flowers 
have an agreeable odour. The fourth fort has fine 
variegated flowers. 
The double kinds are propagated by layers, as the 
Carnations they love a middling foil, not too light, 
nor too heavy or ftiff, nor too much dunged, which 
very often occafions their rotting: thefe continue 
flowering for a long time, and are extremely beautiful, 
efpecially the Mule, which produces two full blooms 
of flowers, one in June, and the other in July. This 
is very fubjefl to canker and rot away, efpecially if 
planted in a foil over wet or too dry, or if watered 
with fharp fpring water. Thefe flowers being planted 
in pots, are very proper to adorn court-yards at the 
time they are in flower. 
The China Pink is generally fuppofed an annual plant, 
becaufe the plants which are raifed from feeds flower 
and produce ripe feeds the fame feafon, fo their roots 
are not often preferved ; but where they are planted 
on a dry foil, they will continue two years, and the 
fecond year will produce a greater number of flowers 
than the firft. There are a great variety of very rich 
colours in thefe flowers, which annually vary when 
raifed from feeds. The double flowers of this fort 
are moft efteemed, though the colours of the Angle 
are more diftimft and beautiful ; for the multiplicity 
of petals in the double flowers, in a great meafure^ 
hides the deep fhades, which are toward the lower 
part of the petals. 
Thefe plants are propagated by feeds, which fhould 
be fown upon a gentle hot-bed about the beginning 
of April •, this moderate heat is only intended to for- 
ward the vegetation of the feeds, therefore when the 
plants come up, they muft have a large fhare of air 
admitted to them, to prevent their drawing up weak $ 
and as foon as the weather will permit, they muft be 
expofed to the open air j in about three weeks or a 
month after, the plants will be fit to remove ; then 
they fhould be carefully taken up with good roots, 
and planted in a bed of rich earth, at about three 
inches afunder, being careful to fhade them from the 
fun till they have taken new root, and in dry weather 
they muft have water three or four times a week. 
The farther care is to keep them clean from weeds 
till the end of May, at which time they may be 
tranfplanted to the places where they are defigned to 
remain for flowering, when they may be taken up 
with large balls of earth to their roots, fo as fcarcely 
to feel their removal, efpecially if it happens to rain 
at that time. 
As thefe plants do not grow large, fo when they are 
planted fingly in the borders of the flower-garden, 
they do not make fo fine an appearance, as where they 
are planted by themfelves in beds •, or if they are 
planted 
