64 CARNATIONS AND PINKS 



wet, and poor also, that is, deficient in plant food. 

 Artificial manures are helpful to heavy soils, but 

 poison to those that are wet. They are best given as 

 a top-dressing during the period of growth and in 

 showery w-eather, so that the manure is at once 

 washed down to the roots. 



To improve poor and heavy soil dig it well in 

 autumn and leave it unbroken during winter ; frost 

 pulverises the large lumps and makes the soil friable 

 and promotes root-growth. Manure should be dug 

 in at the same time, and buried about six inches 

 beneath the surface. In early spring dig the soil over 

 again, and the partially decayed manure will be 

 thoroughly mixed with the soil and render it richer 

 for the plants. 



Importance op^ Spring Planting 



Autumn is usually considered the time for planting 

 Carnations, and for country gardens where pure air 

 and suitable soil can be enjoyed this season is prefer- 

 able, for tiien they become well established before 

 winter. But for Carnations in the town garden spring 

 should be chosen for planting. If the plants are put 

 in the ground in early autumn it is true that they are 

 well rooted before winter, but few of them grow satis- 

 factorily when March conies, many of them having 

 lost their centres, or the leaves are diseased. Hundreds 

 of Carnations are lost in town gardens during the 

 winter as the result of the centres of the plants 

 decaying ; the wet gets in the axils of the leaves, and 



