THE CARNATION MANUAL. 11 



yellow. Out of some three hundred phmts there 

 was but one with yellow flowers, and that was 

 worthless 1 



Solving the Seed. — This should be done about 

 the end of March or early in April. For this 

 purpose prepare flower-pots or pans of fine soil, 

 having a hotbed prepared in good condition to 

 receive them. The pots or pans should be plunged 

 in a rather brisk bottom-heat, up to their rims ; 

 the seeds are sown in rather damp soil, and in 

 good heat will vegetate in a week. They may be 

 burned up by over-heating. I never water the 

 seed-pans. The atmosphere and moist soil is 

 enough for the young plants, as they are pricked 

 out into boxes as soon as the seed-leaves have 

 grown to their full size. If the young seedlings 

 are watered in the atmosphere of a hot-bed they 

 are apt to rot off at the neck. I allow about 

 three inches between each plant when pricking 

 them out; and the boxes should remain in 

 the frames until the young plants are estab- 

 lished, gradually inuring them to more air. In 

 three weeks after they have been pricked out in 

 the boxes they will be strong enough to be placed 

 in cold frames ; and by the first week in May, if 

 the weather is fine, the frame-lights may be 

 removed entirely, and by the end of that month be 

 planted out where they are to flower. I choose an 

 open position, where the ground has been trenched 



