124 Select Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. 
always be kept moist in bright warm weather, in 
spring, and early summer. This is best accom- 
plished by damping down the paths and other avail- 
able places in the early morning and again about 
mid-day. 
In the course of ten days or a fortnight the 
cuttings will show signs of commencing to form 
roots by the leaves being firmer and less inclined 
to flag. It is really a sign that the cuttings have 
commenced to callus previous to the emission of 
roots. They may be kept a little drier and given 
a little ventilation, more especially if they are inside 
a propagating case. In the course of three weeks, 
with a bottom heat of 60° and top heat of 50°, rcots 
will have commenced to form, when less water and 
more air should be given to harden the cuttings. 
Most varieties of American Carnation will be fairly 
well rooted in the course cf three to five weeks, and 
the tops will also commence growing at the same 
time. The hardening off process should keep pace 
with the formation of the roots, because the cuttings 
should not be kept a day longer in the propagating 
material after they are well rooted. This is more 
particularly the case where they have been inserted 
in pure sand. When the roots are half an inch long 
the cuttings should be potted singly, using pots pro- 
portionate to their size, and exercising care not 
to break away the young and brittle roots. The 
young plants will very soon start into fresh growth 
if potted at this stage. Leaving the cuttings in the 
propagating material till the roots harden, gives a 
check to growth, and makes it prcceed more tardily 
after the operation of potting. 
Enemies. 
The more persistent enemies of the Carnation 
while still in the propagating bed are green fly and 
thrips. They may be kept in check by fumigating 
lightly on mild and calm nights. <A better plan is 
to paint the hotwater pipes once a week with some 
preparation of nicotine, which gives off mild fumes 
not so liable to injure cuttings as tobacco smoke 
when the atmosphere of the house gets too densely 
filled with it. Evaporating troughs placed on the 
hotwater pipes and filled with diluted tobacco water 
or nicotine extract will give off gentle and con- 
tinuous fumes that hold the insect enemies in check. 
