Carnation Culture 



By A. A. Pembroke 



The carnation is one of the best flowers we have, as it 

 is comparatively easy to grow and is so useful in almost 

 all decorative schemes. It is also indispensable for 

 bouquet work and designs of all kinds. It is, in my 

 opinion, second only to the queen of flowers — the rose. 



As regards the cultivation of the carnation, all that is 

 necessary is most any fairly good soil enriched with good 

 fertilizer and a whole lot of care after planting. I think 

 the care and attention bestowed on the plants after they 

 are in the house has more bearing on the success of the 

 crop than the soil. Such things as too much heat, too 

 much water and too many draughts are the most frequent 

 causes of failure. The best soil, to my mind, possible to 

 get is the top sod from an old pasture plowed about four 

 inches deep and stacked either in the fall or early spring, 

 it matters little which as the results will be about the 

 same. In stacking it use about one-fourth good cow 

 manure, putting one layer of sod and one layer of manure 

 alternately, sprinkling in about one bushel of lime to 

 four cart loads of loam, also a few pounds of salt can be 

 added and will prove beneficial. The compost heap 

 should be cut down a few weeks before planting and 

 should be turned over as frequently as labor facilities will 

 allow, mixing in a small proportion of bone flour which, 

 I think, is more advisable than top dressing with bone. 



The time for planting to get the best results is from 

 the 10th of July to the 1st of August, but good results 

 will be obtained if the planting is finished by the 10th 

 of September. Later planting than that is not advisable, 

 as after that time the plants will not be established and in 

 flower by winter, and when they do flower they will be 

 very apt to be soft stemmed with smaller blossoms than 

 the early planted ones. Large plants will suft'er much 

 more from late planting than smaller ones. 



About 5 to 6 inches of soil in the benches or beds will 

 be ample. There is a difference of opinion concerning 

 benches and solid beds, some claiming the solid beds re- 

 quire more careful watering and are slower in flowering 

 in the middle of winter. I, myself, think they more than 

 make up for any lack of production in winter by being of 

 much better quality in the spring and early summer 

 months, which, after all, is the time the houses produce 

 the greatest amount of flowers and also money, which is 

 the thing that counts most to the commercial man. 



The plants should be lifted with a nice ball and with all 

 the roots possible. 



In planting, firm nicely around the plants and leave the 

 soil around them fairly level. The habit of leaving a 

 basin around the plants is objectionable as in filling there 

 are sure to be lots of plants that will have too much soil 

 piled around them, which is a great inducement to stem 

 rot. It is advisable not to dig more plants at a time than 

 can be planted before their roots dry and the plants wilt, 

 as plants that suiTer in that way will not recover and 

 start to grow half as quickly as their more fortunate 

 companions. 



When a bench is planted give the plants a fairly good 

 watering, enough to wet the ball nicely and the soil 

 around them, but do not soak the bed down as though 

 there would never be any more water to give them. 

 Avoid draughts, and shade the house a little if the 

 weather is very hot, but do not put on too heavy a shade 

 or far more harm will be done than by the sun. 



After the planting is finished, the best advice I can 

 offer is to watch them carefully and find out for yourself 

 the exact condition of the plants, and be governed 

 accordingly. 



Heavy watering before the roots are established is 

 detrimental to the plants, and being too dry also, but to 

 a much lesser degree, as the harm done by them being 

 too dry is much easier remedied than that done by over 

 watering. 



Fumigation should be done once every week to keep 

 down green fly and thrip, and syringing should be started 

 on the very first appearance of red spider and kept up on 

 ever)- bright day until there is not one to be seen. Even 

 then there will be plenty left to come forth on the first 

 warm day or two in the spring. 



It is well to support the plants as soon as possible after 

 planting either with one of the carnation supports or 

 with wires long ways of the benches and strings across to 

 prevent them falling about and becoming misshapen, and 

 it is. better to keep ahead in this particular than to let the 

 plants get ahead of you. Keep all the shoots disbudded 

 as the flowers will be much better than if the side buds 

 are allowed to get large before doing so. 



After the houses have been planted about ten weeks, 

 and if the plants are growing strong and hard you may 

 safely start feeding by top dressing, using either soot, 

 sheep manure or bone. Rub it nicely into the soil which 

 should be loose on top if the benches have been cultivated 

 as they should be, but do not dig deeply into the soil as 

 it tears the fine roots and checks the growth of the plants. 

 This can be done every two weeks or so, always provided 

 the growth is strong, which it invariably will be by this 

 time if the plants were good and the soil rich and sweet. 



With early planting and good material to work with 

 there will be a nice crop of flowers and buds showing by 

 the first of October, which, if the plants have been sys- 

 tematically pinched back in the field, should continue to 

 increase right through the winter and spring. 



Top dressing should not be persisted in from the first 

 of December to the first of February as the days are then 



THE CARX.XTIOX "XORTIirijK r. 



