6 THE CARNATION MANUAL. 



As soon as this is done, it is well, if there are many 

 varieties in the house, to attach a label to the 

 bloom fertilised, stating from what plant the pollen 

 was taken. 



As fertilisation does not by any means always 

 ensue, it is necessary that the operator should 

 daily visit his flowers, and where required repeat 

 the process. The condition of the bloom itself 

 will show whether it is necessary or not. If it has 

 been successfully fertilised on the previous day, 

 it will already have begun to shrink and droop its 

 petals, but if still in full beauty the operation 

 should be repeated. 



When the flowers are completely dead after 

 impregnation, and the petals shrivelled and dry, 

 they should be pulled out of the calyx to admit 

 air to the seed-pod. Care must be taken not 

 to pull away with them the pistils, which, as we 

 have seen, spring from the apex of the seed-pod. 

 These should be left intact. 



I need hardly say that the earlier in the season 

 the flowers are impregnated the better, as they get 

 the advantage of the long, bright daj^s, and have 

 every chance of properly maturing their seed. 

 They also escape the danger, which is very real in 

 late autumn, of the seed-pods damping ofl" at the 

 base. This tendency, which is much more marked 

 in some varieties than others, may be partially met 

 by splitting down the calyx in two or three places. 



