NOVEMEER. 
251 
Each one had some reminiscences of his floral career to detail, and very in- 
structive and ofttimes amusing they were. My host had been a grower of the 
Pink for nearly half a century, and he discoursed of flowers and events that 
have long passed away. No conservative was he, though ; for he marched with 
the times, read with avidity anything bearing on the cultivation of his favourite 
flower, eagerly seized on any hint that he could translate into his cultivable 
process, and had in his collection all the leading flowers of the day. He could 
speak of the ancient distinctions of “purple-laced,” “red-laced,” “black and 
white,” “roseleaf,” and “large-leaved flowers;” of such varieties as Davy’s 
Eclipse, of Lady Wharncliffe, of Davy’s Duchess of Devonshire, Venus, and 
Countess of Bridgewater, Salter’s Lord Nelson, Dakin’s Burdett, of George 
the Fourth, Humphrey Cheetham, Beauty of Flora, Claudius, and other flowers 
that in their day and generation were the best varieties in cultivation of what 
old Thomas Hogg once termed “ that pleasing little flower the Pink.” 
Perhaps in no flower have the conditions of successful cultivation so little 
varied during the last fifty years as in the case of the Pink. The season for 
planting out into the blooming-beds—September or October; the raised beds 
of 6 or 8 inches above the alleys “ to enable the heavy rains to pass off during 
the winter;” the compost—yellow garden loam, sand, and well-rotted manure; 
tjie top-dressing—early in May ; the time for piping—the end of June. These 
I learned were the rules observed at the commencement of the present century, 
and are acted on now. 
Much of our conversation on this, to me, important occasion, had reference 
to the men who in their day had made Pink-growing famous, and gained a 
place of renown in their local annals, who are now passed away from amid 
their floricultural colleagues. How tenderly, and even lovingly, was the 
memory of that father of Pink-growing—old Thomas Hogg, touched on by 
these worthies ! Kis “ Treatise on the Growth and Culture of the Pink, Car¬ 
nation, Sec.,” was prized by them as a very floricultural evangel; dear to them 
for the sake of its acceptable contents ; dearer still as a memorial of the hero, 
as it were, who wrote it. Other names had their meed of praise, and some¬ 
times a very little blame. Gratefully were Mr. Turner’s great services re¬ 
cognised, and the patience and enterprise of Dr. Maclean, the raisers of so many 
of the very best modern flowers. 
I asked for a list of the best twelve varieties for exhibition purposes, and 
was furnished with the following, being informed, however, that a very few 
newer flowers would be subjected to a further trial ere their merits or demerits 
Were finally stated:—Beauty (Maclean), Clara (Maclean), Dr. Maclean (Turner). 
Exquisite (Turner), Invincible (Kirtland), James Hogg (Bragg), John Ball 
(Maclean), Marion (Turner), Mrs. Maclean (Turner), Rev. George Jeans 
(Turner), The Pride of Colchester (Maclean), and Tietjens (Kirtland). 
The general hints that will assist in the successful cultivation of this flower 
were of the nature of the following:—The bed should be made in a part of 
the garden that is tolerably dry. The ground should be Well trenched, and a 
Soil, somewhat after the character of that already mentioned, should be pre¬ 
pared for the reception of the plants. Planting-out for blooming-purposes, 
should be done late in September or early in October, as later planting wilt 
often affect the proper “ lacing ” of the flowers at the blooming season ; and a 
liberal top-dressing of some well-rotted manure that has been passed through 
a sieve should be given at the end of April. When blooms are required for 
exhibition, three or four flower-stems only should be allowed to each plant, and 
the buds thinned out to about the same number on each plant. Water freely 
should dry weather set in, and the buds should be tied with a piece of matting 
to prevent them from bursting on plants that show a tendency to do this. The 
