I06 TREATMENT IN AUTUMN 



require less care and less judgment." Clay's Fertilizer 

 has proved to be one of the best artificial manures for 

 Carnations and is much used by some Eastern growers. 

 It is quick in its action. 



In watering, it might be said that the benches require more 

 from March ist than in the previous two months. Do not 

 allow them to become dust dry before water is given. This, 

 if repeated a few times, is bound to stunt the growth. 

 Rather manage so as to keep the soil fairly moist at all 

 times and thereby keep the stock in the best growing con- 

 dition, "^'ou know the difference, of course, between moist 

 and soaking wet; the latter condition finishes the best of 

 plants in a very short time. 



KEEPING THE STOCK CLEAN 



If cool weather prevails in the Fall, all will be well. A 

 Carnation can stand more cold than heat, especially when 

 planted in a few inches of soil indoors, and while the 

 stock is getting established a house of 48 to 50 deg. at 

 night is better than one of ^^. Don't worry if the plants 

 are slow at first in sending up flowering shoots, as long as 

 they are full of good foliage. Give them time and do not 

 make the mistake of applying fertilizer at once to make 

 things go ahead. You are expecting the plants to furnish 

 flowers all \\ inter, perhaps away into next May, and there 

 is plenty of chance yet for the plants to start into flowering. 

 A plant with eight or ten good stocky shoots, about 6 in. 

 long, is far better than one with five shoots of which three 

 are in flower on the first of October. Do not waste time 

 with short shoots with buds on the end of them; remove 

 them at once. Above all, keep the plants clean; if you do 

 this after the benching and when the plants are settling 



