42 THE CARNATION MANUAL. 



as anyone can desire, and, as a matter of fact, my 

 nursery where stock is raised is a border in the 

 kitchen-garden which has been cultivated many 

 years. Upon very light soils Carnations are 

 not satisfactory, but they thrive in those of an 

 opposite extreme which become hard, and caked, 

 and crack during drought. 



To ensure a good display year after year fresh 

 jolantations should be made annually. Carnations 

 that are closely massed for floral effect are rarely 

 useful after they have done flowering, and old 

 plants are subject to risks that young ones escape. 

 With age they become straggling, and their stems 

 get woody and gouty. When they are in this state 

 winter generally destroys many. It is not fair, 

 however, because old plants are injured and even 

 killed in winter, to say that Carnations are tender. 

 In practice it has been proved again and again tliat 

 young plants survive extremes of weather, which 

 will kiU older plants of the same variety. There 

 are a few gardens where Carnations spread into 

 healthy, compact tufts, which may stand for several 

 years, but the practice that must be generally 

 adopted, and which I always follow, is to raise a 

 fresh stock each year by layering. This is by far 

 the best method of increasing outdoor Carnations. 

 Moreover, layering must be regarded as the most 

 important detail, because it alone enables us to 

 provide a vigorous, healthy stock of young plants 



