152 THE CARNATION MANUAL. 



require stopping once, but other varieties perhaps 

 twice. There is really no hard-and-fast rule to be 

 adopted, for everything depends on the season ; if 

 the summer is hot they will be much earlier and 

 require twice stopping ; but in a dull, cold summer 

 like the last, once will be sufficient. About the 

 end of June they will require their final shift, 

 which should be into pots of eight inches diameter 

 inside measure. The same compost should be 

 used as before, only add one part of some 

 fertiliser to every hundred of soil. A good 

 sprinkling of coarse bones is also useful, as it helps 

 to keep the soil open, besides feeding the plant. 

 Soot is also a good fertiliser for them, and I always 

 put a fair sprinkling over the crocks in the flower- 

 ing-pots ; it also helps to keep out worms. 



When potted, place in cold frames for a week or 

 so, if possible ; but if frames are not available it 

 does not much matter — the plants can be placed in 

 their summer quarters, that is, on beds of coal- 

 ashes or boards (to keep the w^orms from entering 

 the flower-pots). They will then want staking, 

 using one stake and looping the plant up to it. I 

 use three-feet sticks for the Tree Carnations, 

 and two-feet for the more dwarfish varieties, such 

 as Miss Joliffe. 



About the middle of August the pots will be 

 getting full of roots, and should be occasionally 

 helped with some fertiliser. 



