390 
slugs. If there has been much rain during the winter, so that 
the strength of the compost is reduced, and the salt washed 
from it, he takes about seven pounds of damaged salt, and adds 
it to it, either dissolved in water or strewed over with the hand ; 
this he finds to be attended with the most beneficial result upon 
the future health and vigour of the plants. During very heavy 
rains many florists cover their compost with tarpaulin or double 
mats, to prevent the nutritious particles from being washed out ; 
this is also an excellent precaution. This compost is allowed to 
lie at least six months before it is used. For flowers that are 
apt to sport in colour, and yellow picotees, he lowers the compost, 
and uses three barrows of sound staple loam, two ditto old 
rotten cow-dung, one ditto horse-dung, a half ditto sand, a half 
ditto lime rubbish, to be prepared and well incorporated as be- 
fore.—Hogg’s Treatise, &c. p. 45. 
Maddock’s compost (Florist Direct.) is as follows :—one-half 
rotten horse-dung, one year old, one-third fresh sound loam, one- 
sixth coarse sea or river sand. These ingredients are to be mixed 
together in autumn, laid in a heap about three feet thick, turned 
three or four times during winter, and in frosty weather it should 
be laid sufficiently thin, in order that the whole mass may be 
thoroughly frozen, this will be fit for use the following spring ; 
the earth and sand may be added to it in March, the whole 
should then be well mixed. Where the air is pure, experience 
has pointed out the propriety of using less dung and more 
loam, therefore the quantity of sand, loam, and dung should in 
this case be reversed. 
Pots and potting.—The select kinds are always grown in 
pots. Maddock uses pots 12 inches wide at the top, 6 inches 
at the bottom and 10 inches deep, with a hole at the bottom an 
inch in circumference, also three or four smaller holes round the 
sides at the bottom, to prevent the possibility of water lodging 
in the pot. Hogg uses pots rather smaller than those recom- 
mended by Maddock, 12 or 16 to the cast. Potting should 
commence about the middle of March, but it should never be 
deferred later than the end of the month: this is to be done in 
the common way of potting, but the earth should be much more 
raised at the edges of the pots than in the centre. It is neces- 
sary in the repotting the plants that they neither should be 
planted deeper nor shallower than they were before, within an 
inch of the top of the pot, this is necessary for the purpose of 
laying, as they will then require additional mould. Hogg con- 
siders the first week in April the safest and best time to pot 
Carnations. 
General culture.—When the plants are potted off for bloom, 
the pots should be placed in an open airy part of the garden, 
under an arch of hoops, that in case of cold drying winds, heavy 
rains or frosty nights, mats may be thrown over to preserve 
them from such unfavourable weather ; but in this situation they 
are always to remain open, except in the cases above mentioned, 
and to be kept regularly watered with soft water from a fine 
rose watering-pot. When their flower-stems are grown 8 or 10 
inches high it will be necessary to support them with sticks, 
to which the stems are to be loosely tied with twisted pieces 
of bass-mat; this should be carefully looked after, as the stems 
are extremely brittle and apt to be broken by the wind. When 
the stems have grown about a foot and a half high, the plants 
should be removed to the stages, there to remain till they 
flower. 
If any small green winged insects appear on the plants, they 
must be effectually extirpated, either by means of a small soft 
brush or feather, by the application of a strong infusion of 
tobacco-water, or some similar easy and safe expedient; even 
Scotch snuff, dusted upon the infested parts early in the morn- 
ing, while the plants are wet with the dew of the night, has been 
sometimes tried in this case with success. 
CARYOPHYLLEZ. 
Ill. Drantuus. 
The calyx of many sorts are apt to burst on one side, if 
not timely prevented, and totally destroy that compact graceful 
circular form which a perfect flower ought to possess; but this 
may be entirely prevented by fastening a small, narrow slip of 
bladder round the middle of the calyx, where it is most swelled, 
and appears to have the greatest inclination to burst ; these slips 
should lap over at the ends and be fixed by a little gum-water. 
Small slips of bass-mat, tied with a single knot, will answer 
nearly as well. When any of the flowers open, such should 
be shaded both from sun and rain by means of paper covers, 
about 12 inches in diameter, painted white or green, and 
formed like an umbrella; each should have a tin tube in the 
centre, that will permit the stick to which the stem is tied to pass 
through it as far as is necessary. But when the major part are 
in bloom a cloth awning should be placed over the whole, and 
be drawn up or let down in the same manner and on the same 
occasions as for the bloom of hyacinths and tulips. As ear- 
wigs are very destructive to the flowers of Carnations, it 1s neces- 
sary to have a reservoir of water round the stages in order to pre- 
vent them, at all events the plants should be frequently examined. 
Those who are particularly curious in blowing their car- 
nations, carefully extract such petals as are plain or run 
from their true colours; they perform this by means of an in- 
strument adapted to the purpose, and with the same arrange the 
remaining petals so as to supply the defect; in like manner they 
dispose the whole with such regularity, that the flowers appear 
to have an equal distribution of beautiful petals ; and if the 
blossoms consist of too many petals, they extract the smaller 
ones, and thereby afford the others more room to expand. Four 
or five plants in a pot have always a more elegant appearance 
than one or two, and seldom more than four or five blossoms 
should be allowed to expand on the same plant; the smaller 
buds should be picked off. ; 
Carnations are to be treated in winter much like auriculas ; 
they are seldom injured by a moderate dry frost, though it 18 
safer to defend them from too much of it; but it is necessary 
to caution against covering up too close when the plants aL 
wet, as they are apt in that state to contract a destructive mr" 
dew, if they have not the benefit of a free circulation of urs 
this mildew makes its first appearance in purple spots on the 
foliage, which can only be cured or prevented from spreading 
amongst the adjacent plants by cutting of the infected part ne 
removing the plants so diseased. It is necessary to defen t : 
plants from excessive rain in winter and autumn, for it 38 sal e 
at this season to keep them rather too dry than too moist, nt 
a moderate degree of moisture is always to be preferred, r 
cept when the weather is severely frosty. As too long a et 
privation from light is at all times prejudicial to plants, whenevi 
the winter repository is required to be closely covered oP vost 
mats for several days and nights, no opportunity should A the 
during the middle of the day, if the sun shines, to take o en 
mats in front of the glasses. When the pots become ger it 
with moss on the top, or too compact, it will be proper to “little 
up carefully about half an inch deep, and sprinkle aa the 
coarse dry sand upon it, this will be of great service | ing, 
plants and may be repeated as often as necessary. In Fe io 
before the potting commences, the pots will probably req loom 
be frequently watered. Hogg gives a top dressing Or ns inch 0 
ing plants about the middle of June, with about ha fad nate 
rotten horse-dung, passed through a sieve, which he rhe shoots 
rially to assist the plants, and promote the growth of t S ling, 
for layers. He waters freely while the flower-buds are swen a 
and during the whole time they are in blossom. As 
the side shoots appear, a paper collar is put roun 
of the blossom to support it. These collars are ma diameter» 
card paper, of the form of a circle, 3 or 4 inches 1n 
