22 THE CARNATION MANUAL. 



east so much the better ; but the shrubs must be 

 well back from the pLants, and there must be no 

 sense of confinement about the border. What is 

 called a sheltered, " snug " corner will probably be 

 about the worst place that could be selected. 



" Snugness " is the very thing that is not 

 wanted. They cannot have too much air. They 

 may very easily have too little. 



It will be found convenient that the border 

 should be narrow, i.e., of such a width that all the 

 plants in it can be easily got at, and the operations 

 of staking and tying, disbudding, layering, &c., con- 

 ducted without being obliged to step upon it. It 

 should also be raised, for drainage purposes, eight 

 inches or so above the surrounding level. 



As a preliminary it must be well and deeply 

 trenched. 



The Soil. — Carnations will grow and flower 

 more or less in any and every soil, but they can 

 only be seen in their full beauty when atten- 

 tion has been given to the composition of the 

 border. 



Incomparably the soil they love best is a fairly 

 strong virgin loam, open and free from stickiness. 

 To this should be added a liberal dressing of well- 

 rotted manure from an old hotbed, a little mortar- 

 rubbish, and some road-scrapmgs if procurable. 

 These are better omitted if the roads in the district 

 are metalled with gi-anite. 



