162 Select Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. 
tions in frames will also apply to show Carnations 
and Picotees in 24 or 3-1in. pots wintered in cold 
frames. 
‘Turf and leaf mould intended for compost late in 
February or early in March should be taken under 
cover to protect them from rain and enable them 
to get sufficiently dry for the second and final pot- 
ting of the plants into their flowering pots. 
Tree Carnations. 
The old plants will still be flowering, but a com- 
mencement should be made to propagate them by 
means of cuttings. Those about 3 inches long are 
the best, and should be pulled off the main stems 
with a slight heel, which may be trimmed if ragged, 
and a few of the lower pairs of leaves removed. 
Insert them firmly in pots of sandy soil, and plunge 
the pots in hand-lights on a propagating bed. This 
will preserve the moisture and keep the leaves 
plump till roots are formed. The lghts may be 
taken off for an hour or two each morning and 
wiped dry inside. Panes of glass supported on pegs 
over the cuttings will serve the purpose admirably in 
the absence of hand-lights. Each variety should be 
inserted in a separate pot, as they vary from three 
to six weeks in forming roots. As soon as rooted 
place them on a shelf close to the glass. The bot- 
tom heat—that is, the heat of the bed—should be 
about 60 deg., but the atmosphere of the house need 
not be more than 50 deg. to 55 deg. 
Malmaison Carnations. 
The plants should be well lighted and ventilated, 
except in severe weather ,when the ventilators may 
be closed to avoid the use of fire heat¥as 
much as possible. Keep the foliage perfectly dry 
and the roots on the dry side. If allowed to get dust 
dry, however, the roots would suffer. A tempera- 
ture of 40 deg. to 45 deg. will be sufficient, except in 
the case of those being forced. 
American Carnations. 
The first batch of cuttings should be prepared and 
inserted during the month. They require very similar 
treatment to that given the ordinary tree varieties. 
Cuttings must not be taken from the strong shoots 
at the base of the plants, but from the middle of the 
main stem, as these produce the best flowering 
plants. The pit will be warm enough at 50 deg. to 
