i 
273 
WINTERING CARNATIONS. 
the violent winds from bruising or breaking them off; but I 
always shelter them in winter except a few on the borders. 
My plan of operation is as follows: 
I have octagon-shaped striking glasses, nine inches diameter, 
five inches deep at the sides, and raised at the top an inch and 
three quarters they have lead frames, are made as air-tight as pos* 
sible, and cost me eighteenpence a-piece; and for which I have 
pots, that the glasses will reach over a full inch all round, say 
seven inches wide, by four and a half inches deep outside 
measure. 
In the first and not later than the second week in June, 
having provided some light and tolerably rich soil, such as we 
generally use for potting, I prepare my pipings in the following 
manner: 1 take them carefully from the mother plant by cut¬ 
ting not stripping them from the stem, and take particular 
care to keep each sort labelled and tied together, in order to 
have them distinctly separate ; I then begin my work, by cutting 
them off horizontally, just below about the third joint, not where 
the wood is tender or very juicy, and then strip the two side 
leaves at that joint where a small bit of the heart or pith will 
appear below the joint, this I cut off also, and pinch off the two 
next leaves above, shortening the top leaves a little; the piping 
► is then complete. 
I prepare all my pipings in this manner before I plant one of 
them, and if they are laid upon the ground in the shade, they 
will be none the worse for remaining there till the next day, or 
longer if required, I like them to wither a little; I then fill my 
pots, and with a small taper stick make six or eight holes round 
each, according to the slender or robust habit of the sort, pretty 
near but not close to the side, or you can thrust each piping 
in about two inches if you prefer it, gently pressing each piping 
with the soil towards the side of the pot, with your finger as 
you proceed; fill up and level the tops of the pots, and plunge 
them about two thirds of their depth in a nice dry border, lying 
to the morning sun, and where that glorious luminary will leave 
them about one o’clock, rake your border smooth and level 
round the pots, and water them through a rose properly made, 
that you can saturate each pot, without wetting the leaves of the 
