THE CARNATION MANUAL. 171 



spoiled for flowering. I have already alluded to 

 the necessity of searching for wire-worm in the 

 soil before planting or potting, but by far the 

 worst enemy with which we have to deal is 

 maggot. I am persuaded that this pest has had 

 more to do mth the neglect of the Carnation, of 

 which we often hear, than any other cause. It 

 is a small white grub, said to be that of the saw- 

 fly, and mostly prevalent in cold and moist 

 seasons. The fly deposits its eggs sometimes in 

 the leaves, raising a whity-bro^\^l patch like a 

 blister. In such cases the affected parts have 

 merely to be cut off and destroyed; but it also 

 lays its eggs in the stem, and the grub is develo23ed 

 there without previous warning, often working its 

 way into the heart of the plant before its presence 

 is suspected. When it is present, the centre of 

 the plant has a pallid, sickly appearance, often 

 thought to be caused by the excessive moisture 

 of a wet season, and after a time the heart of the 

 plant is seen to drop completely out. 



Careful observation will, in the majority of 

 cases, enable the grower to detect the sign of 

 maggot in the plant in time to pick it out with a 

 needle or similar instrument before it gets far 

 enough into the heart of the plant to eat it out. 

 In too many cases it eludes all vigilance till the 

 mischief is done ; it does not always kill the plant, 

 but a plant with the centre eaten out is spoiled for 



