196 
Carnation—continued. 
Culture. Some considerable space is devoted in Vol. I. 
to cultural details. There are, however, one or two points 
which may with advantage be touched upon here. First, in 
relation to propagation by seed, which is the method 
employed for raising new varieties. By far the best results 
are obtainable by careful hybridisation. Care must, how- 
ever, be taken not to mix the classes. Selfs should be 
cross-fertilised with Selfs, Fancies with Fancies, &c. 
Border Carnations are best planted from September to 
November in specially prepared quarters as advised in Vol. I. 
They may either be arranged in beds or in borders. 
They are generally propagated by layers in autumn, a 
form of increase already explained, but very plainly 
Fic. 204. LAYERED CARNATION SHOOT. 
shown in the illustration (Fig. 204). Those, however, 
who exhibit, grow the plants in pots. This is what Mr. 
Douglas, the Carnation specialist, says upon the subject 
in the “ Book of Gardening ”’ : 
The layers are inserted when ready in what the trade 
term “ sixties,” two plants in a pot, and they are wintered 
in garden-frames. ‘They are placed fairly close to the 
glass, in order that they may have the full benefit of light 
and air. In some districts damp is troublesome, doing 
some damage to the leaves by what is termed “ spot,” but 
free ventilation will usually prevent its appearance. The 
work during winter consists in keeping the plants clean 
by removing dead and decaying leaves, stirring the soil 
on the surface, and by paying careful attention to the 
watering. In March they must be transferred to their 
flowering-pots. Two plants should be placed in a pot 8in. 
in diameter, or three in one 9in. The pots must be 
drained well, and the compost packed in firmly around the 
plants. In the process of transferring the plants from the 
small to the large pots, care must be taken not to disturb 
the roots more than is absolutely necessary. As the plants 
are repotted, they should be placed again into garden- 
frames until they are established, when the best way to 
treat them is to stand them out in the open air on a hard 
bottom of ashes. When the weather is mild, and the 
potting is not done until after the middle of March, it may 
be as well to stand them ont-of-doors at once, as in the 
spring the frames are often required for half-hardy and 
tender plants. The flower-sticks ought to be placed to the 
plants very soon after they go out-of-doors, as high winds 
may snap off valuable plants close to the surface of the 
greund. 
Careful attention must be given to watering all through 
the season, and as soon as the flower-buds show colour, the 
plants must be removed to the greenhouse, where they are 
to flower. Green-fly and thrips between them will 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Carnation—continued. 
disfigare both leaves and flowers if not dealt with at the 
outset. Fumigation must therefore be resorted to. To 
prevent the “grass” from drawing up weakly, air must be 
freely given, and when the flowers open they must be 
shaded from bright sunshine to preserve their beauty as 
long as possible. About the end of July layering may be 
commenced, and it will be better to place the plants out-of- 
doors, as the layers become drawn if the plants are kept 
under glass. Those plants growing in the open borders 
should be layered, of course, where they are. To do this 
scratch some of the ordinary garden-mould away from the 
base of the plants, replacing it with the compost already 
recommended. ; 
Tree Carnations require rather different treatment. As 
the growths are mostly found up the main stems, they 
cannot very readily be layered, and are propagated by 
slips from the main stems of the plants. These strike 
freely in hot-beds, or early in the season’ in a forcing- 
house with a little bottom-heat. The temperature of the 
house should he about 55deg. If possible, the bottom- 
heat should be kept about 80deg. to 90deg. The slips 
will readily form roots in sixty-sized pots ; when the young 
plants are established, they should be potted singly, and 
gradually inured to greenhouse culture. From May until 
the end of September Tree Carnations do best out-of-doors. 
The best potting soil for Carnations is three parts of good 
loam, one part of decayed manure, and one part of leaf- 
mould; sand to be added to lighten heavy soils. Mortar 
rubbish, broken up and run through a }in. sieve, is also 
excellent to mix with the compost. 
Malmaisons are also subjects for greenhouse treatment, 
except in summer. They require a minimum night tem- 
perature in winter of 55deg., rising in the daytime to a 
maximum of 65deg. They may be propagated similarly to 
the Tree Carnations. Great care with the watering must 
be observed in winter, as errors in this respect predispose 
the plants to fungoid attacks. 
Besides the pests enumerated in Vol. I.,and such diseases 
as Fairy Ring Spot, Rust, and Carnation Maggot, dealt with 
under special headings in the present volume, there are 
some few others which call for remark here. First as to 
Earwigs. These destroy the petals#or so disfigure entire 
flowers, that they are useless. They are best trapped 
according to the methods detailed under Earwigs. Thrips 
attack the flower-buds, and in the open they should be 
syringed with weak Kerosene Emulsion; while under glass 
they are best destroyed by fumigation. 
One of the most insidious pests which of late years have 
been discovered is a species of Eelworm (Tylenchus) ; this 
feeds in the stem, causing it to swell, burst, and eventually~ 
to die. Frequently these pests are introduced with potting 
soils; therefore, the greatest care must be observed. 
These Nematoid worms are very plentiful on grass lands, 
and where the soil has been obtained from such a source 
it would be prudent to first bake it. Those who keep 
large quantities of potting material stock it at least 
six months before using. The Helworms are exceedingly 
minute, and thus readily escape observation. They show a 
marked partiality for the leaves of old plants. Where 
plants are badly infested they should be burnt, and the soil 
baked. : 
Cats and rabbits have a weakness for Carnation “ grass” 
at all seasons; while in spring the sparrows play havoc 
with it, especially when the weather is severe. The best 
protection is afforded by pieces of narrow-meshed netting 
stretched over sticks bent semi-circular fashion and well 
pegged down at the sides. Black cotton stretched 
diagonally across the plants will, at any rate for a time, act 
as a deterrent against sparrows. 
Under glass Red Spider is occasionally troublesome in 
dry weather. It may, however, like Green-fly and thrips, 
be ousted by fumigating. 
