PINKS. Dianthus. A class of highly orna mental plants, biennials and perennials, all, how ever, requiring protection in the winter in the North, and some like the carnation, requiring to be kept in the house in winter. The character istics of excellence in pinks are that the flowers should be circular in outline when viewed in front, semi-globnlar in profile, and uniform in size on the same plant. The petals should have of the species are highly ornamental, and are used extensively in planting. Some of the finest of these are natives of the Rocky mountains. Among foreign trees the Austrian pine and Scotch pine are well known. Of our native species, one frorn the Pacific coast, the ponder ous pine, (Pinus ponderosa) is hardy and of rapid growth, see illustration, page 726. The wood is very heavy, as its name indicates, and is of rapid growth. The white pine a native of the entire North and Canada, is, however, one of the best of trees for prairie planting, being quite hardy, doing well on a variety of soils, and it also bears the shears or cutting well. The pines
have been divided as follows : 1. White pine, five leaves in a sheath, which includes the Cembran pine and the Bhotan pine. 2. Pitch pine, three leaves in a slvath, which includes Loblolly and ponderous pine. 3. Two leaves in a sheath, as Scotch pine, Austrian pine, red pine, gray pine, scrub pine, yellow pine. etc. The white pine species like a rather moist, rich soil. The pitch good substance whether the edges be cut or smooth each row smaller than that preceding it. Self colors, should be uniform in tint, variegated colors should have the ground white, lacing, whatever the tint, should be unbroken and have a border of white beyond it, and the color of the lower limb of the petal extending so as to be seen above the white edge of the petals above. (See Floricul Lure. )