184 THE CARNATION MANUAL. 



When the shoot is pulled off the main stem a 

 very small clean cut round hole will be often found 

 in the stem, and through this the maggot has 

 passed, and is certainly snugly lying in the heart of 

 the plant. Your knife will soon tell you in which 

 direction he has travelled ; and the stem must be 

 cut open, without a thought as to whether the 

 plant will survive the operation or not : for if you 

 catch and kill the maggot the plant may live, even 

 though sorely crippled ; if you do not catch him 

 the plant will certainly die. 



Sometimes — as often as not — the first evidence 

 of the maggot is seen in the crown leaves of the 

 main shoot. When this is the case the plant must 

 be ruthlessly pinched back until he is secured. There 

 are occasionally two working amicably together, so 

 when the pin has extracted one it is well to make 

 sure that there is not another left. They can often 

 be got out with the point of the pin without break- 

 ing off the shoot. 



If the plants are carefully watched, the maggot 

 should be caught before he gets to the main stem. 

 When once he has established himself there the 

 plant has but a poor chance. 



In looking over the plants it must not be for- 

 gotten that a mere superficial glance is not enough. 

 Every pot must be taken in the hand and all the 

 young shoots observed, and even a gentle pull given 

 to them. This latter precaution will often detect 



