THE BORDER CARNATION 27 



Planting 



In a dry district and light soil I would plant out early 

 in November. For many years I grew the plants suc- 

 cessfully in Essex, and they were always put out about 

 the second week in November. The late Mr. Edward 

 Adams, who had his garden in Northumberland, as- 

 sured me that the florists in his district always planted 

 out their stock of Carnations in November, and that 

 the most suitable manure was obtained from the cattle- 

 markets in Newcastle. The market authorities were 

 glad to get rid of the sweepings, and the florists were 

 pleased to receive them. I have always been surprised 

 at the large size and bright colour of the flakes and 

 bizarres grown in that district, and I visited several 

 florists' gardens in which the flakes, bizarres, and 

 white ground Picotees were treated entirely as border 

 plants. Most of the owners were cottagers working 

 in coal mines or foundries, but gardening was 

 thoroughly done. The soil worked easily, and had 

 been under vegetable culture for many years. No 

 turf was added, and in such a soil wireworms were 

 never seen. 



Although I recommend autumn as the best time 

 for planting out in dry districts where the soil is 

 light, and therefore does not hold the water long after 

 heavy rains, autumn is not the season to plant when 

 opposite conditions prevail. When the soil is hea\y 

 it is wiser to pot up the plants and keep them in 

 garden frames during the winter ready to be trans- 

 ferred to the garden in March. If decayed turf is 



