188 



FOREIGN NOTICES. 



luxuriance to irreatest advantajre ; that is, to tie 

 up the laterals to smaller stakes arranj^ed sym- 

 metrically around the central one. Let the sticks 

 and the tyinjj material both be trustworthy, for the 

 dahlia has to stand very rough weather when it is 

 in the finest state of bloom, and its being prostrated 

 by the wind is a misfortune to be averted by all 

 means. The plants should be looked over every 

 day, that tying may be attended to before an un- 

 gainly growth takes place. 



Dahlias will not bloom well unless a degree of 

 moisture is kept up at the root ; and sedulous at- 

 tention to this is indispensable. Many fine flowers 

 are stunted in their growth, and deformed in their 

 bloom, because the soil is too dry. Constant wa- 

 tering being attended with trouble, and also being 

 undesirable, because it washes the best properties 

 of the compost beyond the range of the roots, it is 

 strongly recommended to mulch the surface to 

 about nine inches all round the plant. I last week 

 put the mowings of the lawn to this use, laying on 

 a thick stratum of grass round each dahlia. Pre- 

 vious to this being done the soil must be thoroughly 

 soaked, and one such watering will last for a week, 

 although without the mulching, one dry day would 

 render the operation again necessary. Having ar- 

 ranged my grass coverings in good order, I was 

 much pleased with the plan, and thought it im- 

 proved the appearance of the dahlias ; but this sat- 

 isfaction did not last long, for the next morning I 

 found every little heap scattered in all directions 

 by the claws and beaks of birds, who appear to 

 have left all other pursuits, in order to revel in my 

 handyworks. I found therefore that one labor led 

 on to another, and I collected the grass again with 

 a rake, and fenced each mulching with brushwood 

 laid over it, and fastened into the soil. This must 

 be done, or neatness is at an end, and it must be 

 done effectually too ; for I find wherever there is a 

 gap in my inclosures, the birds trespass and drag 

 out the grass. I expect they find insects sheltered 

 in my mulchings, and that this is the cause of their 

 pertinacious efforts to undo my works. 



These mulchings should be bept moist, and this 

 can be done by sprinkling a little water daily from 

 the rose of a watering-pot. This is necessary to 

 keep the soil beneath equally wet, and also to pre- 

 vent earwigs and other insects from lodging in the 

 grass. Earwigs and woodliee hate a wet situation, 

 and are always found in the driest places ; hence, 

 the wet state of the grass will prevent their stop- 

 ping among it. Earwigs are the worst enemies of 

 dahlias, feeding on the young and undeveloped 

 petals of the flowers, as every amateur knows to 

 his abundant vexation. Perhaps the best trap is a 

 small flower-pot at the top of the stake, for these 

 insects seem to have a strong propensity to ascend 

 as high as they can for a lodging. This attic taste 

 may be turned to good account by the gardener, 

 and the pots will be found occupied every morning 

 by the enemies he is in search of. As the move- 

 ment of the pot arouses them and makes them fall, 

 and thus escape, I put a piece of brown paper in 

 each pot, crumpled up, so as to retain its place 

 when the pot is removed. In searching for them 

 a board should be carried with you, or else when 

 you unfold the paper they will get away, if this is 



done on the walk or the lawn. A lady not liking 

 such a mode of killing as treading with the foot, 

 may be allowed the more refined method of taking 

 with her a China vessel, with water, into which the 

 paper parcels may discharge their cargo. I killed 

 many thousands last year in this way. In my 

 neighborhood earwigs are more than usually abun- 

 dant, rendering watchfulness highly necessary. A 

 little diluted cow-dung may be applied once a fort- 

 night, and all decaying flowers should be cut ofT. 

 These contain earwigs, which must not be allowed 

 to run away. H. B. Gard. Ckron. 



Carnations — I will thank you to say to what 

 causes the running of the carnation is attributable, 

 other than freshness and excess of manure (sup- 

 posing stable dung the kind used.) In 1845 a num- 

 ber of carnations and pieotees bloomed fairly with 

 me in the open gronnd, except Yeomanson's Tri- 

 umphant, crimson bizarre, which was very much 

 run and ill shaped. In 1846 the layers from this 

 flower did not blow ; they were grown in pots. In 

 1847 layers from these again were grown in pots, 

 in compost of loam and leaf-mould, equal parts, 

 with the addition of a half part stable dung, and a 

 little sand and gypsum. They bloomed extremely 

 well, both in shape and colour, while many others, 

 grown in the same compost, and treated like them, 

 ran. This year my carnations are growing in the 

 open ground, in what had. been a border containing 

 principally herbaceous plants ; this was trenched 

 in the last autumn (just before the layers were 

 planted in it,) 2 feet deep, and a little fresh soil, and 

 a very little old manure added. It was top-dressed 

 with an inch of very old horse manure this spring, 

 and occasionally watered with very weak manure 

 water, as recommended in page 35 of the " Gar- 

 deners' Almanac." The aspect is south ; the flow- 

 er garden is a perfect horizontal bit of table land 

 on the side of a hill, and extremely warm. The 

 plants were unprotected from rain, sun, or frost the 

 entire year. Now, the layers taken from the plants 

 of Yeomanson's Triumphant that bloomed so well 

 last year, are this year all run (10 plants,) as welJ 

 as a number of other carnations, and this in the very 

 slightly manured bed that I have just described. 

 The garden is well drained. Would you say at 

 the same time what the best compost is for potting^ 

 carnations and pieotees in for blooming, making 

 a difference, if such is necessary, between that for 

 varieties apt to run, and that for others. Dianthus. 

 [It is evident from our correspondent's own show- 

 ing that his plants have been too highly manured. 

 The compost of 1847 was much nearer the mark. 

 We do not recommend liquid manure applied at an 

 early stage of the growth. It is best given when 

 the colour can be ascertained to be correct by raising 

 the point of the pod. We think that the bed which 

 was trenched two feet deep, and fresh soil and old 

 manure added at planting time, and then lop-dress- 

 ed in spring with an inch deep of old horse manure 

 — the plants being watered with liquid manure — 

 would be too rich ; and we fear our correspondent, 

 in following the advice of the almanack he refer.s 

 to, has been misled. A most excellent compost 

 for carnations and pieotees is 2 parts rotten turfy 

 loam, 2 parts leaf-n^ould, 1 part rottea hQrse.dv4iQg> 



