DEN 
DIA 
ance when cultivated in pots, and trained 
into suitable forms by the aid of sticks; 
those of pendent trailing habits should 
be grown in baskets suspended from the 
roof of the stove ; in either case the soil 
should be composed of about one half 
fibrous peat, and the other portion made 
up of sphagnum and rotten wood; this 
mixture should be thoroughly incorpo¬ 
rated without breaking it fine, and an 
efficient drainage must be secured, or 
the plants will not thrive; the base of 
their stems should be elevated two, 
three, or four inches, according to the 
size of the plant, above the top of the 
pot or basket, as they are liable to much 
injury from damp when protruding their 
new shoots. The temperature of the house 
in which these plants are grown is a 
consideration of the first consequence to 
then successful culture; it requires to 
be assimilated, as nearly as circumstances 
will allow, to that of their native posi¬ 
tions, and may be described as of three 
distinct phases, a dry and warm season, 
in which the plants produce their flowers, 
to be succeeded by one still warmer, 
and in which an abundance of moisture 
must be present, as it is at this time 
that new growths are effected, and this 
active season must be followed by one 
suited to produce a state of repose in 
the plants, by reducing the amount of 
heat considerably, and restricting the 
supply of moisture to the least possible 
quantity; this season is that which cor¬ 
responds with our winters, and for con¬ 
venience should be referred to that time. 
Thus from December to about the end 
of March, or later for some species, may 
be regarded as the period first mentioned, 
the growing season commencing with 
each individual as soon as its flowering 
is over, and continuing until the growth 
is complete, which is usually about the 
end of August or some part of Septem¬ 
ber, when they require the perfect rest 
already spoken of. It is in the varia¬ 
tion of these seasons, the withholding or 
appliance of stimuli, that the whole art 
of the management lies. If it is done 
correctly and at the proper time, of 
course the plant progresses satisfactorily, 
but otherwise all is confusion; the plant 
continues growing, but does not flow'd’, 
becoming weaker each season. An ave¬ 
rage of 55°, with but slight alteration, 
should be observed for the dormant sea¬ 
son; increasing it gradually to 65° or 
70° for the flowering period, and after 
this is past, the temperature may be al¬ 
lowed to run up to 85°, 90°, or even 
more through the summer, keeping a 
proportionate amount of moisture in 
the atmosphere of the house by means 
of frequent steaming, syringing, Ac. The 
following deserve a place in every col¬ 
lection : aggregatum , aureum , ccerulescens, 
calceolaria, chrysanthum , Dalhouseianum, 
densiflorum, Devonianum, firnb datum , for- 
mosum, Gibsonii, macrantlmm, monili- 
forme, moscliatum, nobile, Pierardii, pul- 
chelhm, and secundum. 
DIANELLA (Lambent.) Nat. Ord. 
Liliacece. Lovely tuberous-rooted plants, 
chiefly from New Holland; they should 
be grown in pots of loam and peat, and 
if allowed a good situation in the green¬ 
house, will produce their showy blue 
flowers in a copious manner. 
DIANTHUS (Linn.) Nat. Order 
CaryophyllacetB. An extensive, beauti¬ 
ful, and highly popular genus. It con¬ 
tains about a hundred species, among 
which are found the Pink, the Carnation, 
and Picotee, the Sweet William, and 
Indian Pink; the fragrance and beauty 
of the first three are well known, and 
their high character requires a separate 
notice of each. 
Pinks. —Until within the last few 
years, these flowers have yielded less to 
the influence of the florist than per¬ 
haps any others cultivated through the 
same period. They appeared to have 
attained a certain degree of perfection, 
beyond which but slender hopes were 
entertained of forcing them; however, 
by dint of perseverance an advance has 
again been effected, and we may yet wit¬ 
ness some desirable results. The pro¬ 
pagation of established varieties is done 
by cuttings taken from the plants imme¬ 
diately after flowering; these should be 
the strongest of the principal side shoots, 
rejecting the mere laterals, or secondary 
growths, except a great increase of any 
particular variety is desired, without re- 
E 
