Border Carnations. 33 
varies in different parts of any large garden, and 
the selection should be made accordingly. Those 
soils which are relatively impervious to air and water 
should be discarded and preference given to those 
which are friable or which, though of a substantial 
character, contain sufficient sand to make them 
porous to allow the passage of superfluous moisture 
and permit the beneficent action of the atmosphere. 
This is highly advantageous in the early stages of 
growth, by allowing the heated air in the spring 
time to penetrate and warm the soil. Those made 
up of fine particles, inclined to clay and deficient m 
decaying vegetable matter or humus, are liable to 
become hard and compact with the rising tempera- 
ture in spring and the gradual loss of moisture. 
Such soils should be avoided if possible and selec- 
tion made of those which contain humus and grit in 
which the natural agencies that convert inert matter 
into soluble plant food can work. 
Having resolved upon the natural fitness of the 
soil and secured a good display of Carnations from 
it, the next question is how to restore it to its pre- 
vious fertility for the coming season’s crop. Carna- 
tions dislike rank stable or cow manure, but that 
obtainable from old hotbeds may be used liberally. 
Digging, double digging or trenching may be accom- 
plished according to the condition of the soil. If at 
all inclined to be heavy a good dressing of old 
mortar may be given together with road scrapings, 
where macadam constitutes the surfacing. Wood 
ashes are also valuable, and may be obtained in 
every garden where the prunings of trees and shrubs 
and the decayed stems of various garden plants are 
burned on a smother heap. The most valuable 
ingredient of wood ashes is potash. Phosphate 
may be applied at the same time in the form of bone 
meal, particularly that which has been prepared by 
steaming previous to grinding, and calcined bone or 
animal charcoal. 
If the re-making of the border by introducing 
fresh soil every year is out of the question, a good 
top-dressing of it worked into the top spit will have 
an appreciable effect on the growth of the Carna- 
tions. All these operations should be effected some- 
time previous to the making of fresh plantations of 
layers in autumn, and not later than the beginning of 
February for spring planting. 
The intelligent cultivator will also remember that 
B 
