Calendar of Operations for All Classes. 173 
budding and fixing the cards before the expansion 
of the blooms will occupy a considerable amount of 
time. It is necessary with many varieties to open 
or fold back the points of the calyx to facilitate the 
equal or regular expansion of the flower. 
It is usual also to take the plants under glass or 
canvas during the flowering period. If staged with 
judicious care and taste the grower and his visitors 
may enjoy a floral feast of rare beauty and charm 
not excelled by any other tiower or race of flowers. 
This is the month also in which well studied crosses 
are made between varieties possessing desirable pro- 
perties, with the object of raising new ones com- 
bining the properties of their parents. 
Unremitting attention must also be given to the 
trapping of earwigs, the checking of thrips, and the 
destruction of greenfly. 
When cutung flowers for exhibition select those of 
the different varieties that most nearly match one 
another in size, avoiding extremes, and contrasting 
and varying the colours so as to constitute a 
harmonious whole when placed on the show board. 
All this has to be carefully thought out at home. 
Choice, early flowering varieties and those that 
winter badly should be propagated early and cut- 
tings have been. found to give most satisfaction. 
They may be rooted in pots of sandy soil under 
hand-lights in the open. 
Tree Carnations. 
Late propagated batches will still require re- 
potting and establishing in the fresh soil before the 
plants are stood on ashes in the open. Water may 
be given liberally after the pots are well filled with 
roots, but previous to that it should be done with 
care or the soil will get sour and retard or ruin the 
plants. 
Greenfly, in all likelihood, will establish them- 
selves in the growing points of the leafy shoots, and 
syringing may fail to dislodge them in such hiding 
places. | Tobacco powder is an effective cure and 
should be dusted into the crowns after syringing, 
even if it takes some little time to accomplish. 
Thrips will also be held in check by the same pro- 
cess. 
Malmaison Carnations. 
If cuttings were inserted in May they will require 
repotting sometime during this month. provided the 
