72 THE CARNATION MANUAL. 



They should be planted only on soil thoroughly 

 well drained, and made lighter than ordinary by 

 the addition of leaf-mould and sharp sand or lime 

 rubbish. Manure they are perhaps better without, 

 except it be by way of a surface dressing in dry 

 seasons. 



In potting, the compost should similarly be 

 rather lighter than usual, and in potting the plants 

 on into the larger pots in the spring only very 

 vigorous plants should be potted in pairs in the 

 eight-inch pots. The weaker examples are best 

 potted on singly into 4 J or 5 -inch pots, according 

 to their size and root-development, and when they 

 have begun to fill these they may be potted on into 

 5- or 6-inch pots, in Avhich they are to bloom. 

 They will in this way have a better chance of 

 making steady and firm growth, with consequently 

 less liability to check and disease. 



Happily signs are not wanting that along with 

 higher development in the flowers, raisers are 

 getting plants with more robust constitution and 

 greater adaptability to varying and adverse seasonal 

 influences. 



A FEW WORDS ON DRESSING AND EXHIBITING. 



The dressing of blooms intended for competition 

 at exhibitions is often taken exception to in strong 

 terms by some of our critics in the gardening press ; 

 but the objections, well-intentioned, no doubt, are 



