ON THE CULTURE OF CARNATIONS. 269 



ber and January are the months in which great caution is necessary 

 in order not to over water them. Keep them moderately dry, and 

 when they require water, let it be given them through the narrow 

 pipe of a small watering-can instead of the rose. If you water with 

 the rose, unless there be a brisk air and a little sun to dry the plants, 

 the drops will hang upon them for several days, and spot and mildew 

 the leaves. Great attention ought to be paid not to shut them up 

 when wet. In order to prevent any green incrustation from taking 

 place, take a small pointed stick, and when you see occasion stir the 

 mould lightly. Should the weather be temperate and mild, with any 

 gentle rains from the south or south-west, they should be permitted 

 to receive the benefit of them for half an hour during the winter ; 

 this will greatly refresh them if you take great care to have their leaves 

 dried again as soon as possible. The above method is nearly the 

 same as that laid down by Mr. Hogg, and I am convinced it will be 

 found to succeed admirahly. I tried it for two winters, and the col- 

 lection of Carnations were very delicate ; and I am sure, under any 

 other mode of treatment than the above-mentioned, they never would 

 have survived the winter. But under this they even improved, and 

 in spring were quite hardy and excellent bushy plants. 



Florists in general have a larger stock of Carnations than they find 

 convenient to bloom in pots, therefore they plant out some of them in 

 a bed or border towards the end of March. If you are anxious to 

 have a fine bloom, and your plants are fine sorts, a fresh bed should 

 be then prepared for them. In this case they first remove a foot in 

 depth of the old earth, and then dig over what remains to the depth 

 of a foot or more ; they will then cover the surface with a stratum of 

 horse-manure three inches deep, of the kind which has been used as 

 a cucumber-bed, and is not exhausted much. The mould, which in the 

 first instance was removed, is to be replaced with the same sort of 

 compost as is intended for Carnations in pots, raising the bed about 

 four inches from the surface of the ground, and rounding the top a 

 little in a convex form, in order to give the water a gentle descent 

 each way. Afcer planting this bed, you will of course require to give 

 them an abundant supply of water, especially when they are near 

 flowering, to swell the pod and increase the bloom. I must now 

 finish for the present, and should the above be thought worthy of a 

 place in your valuable Cabinet, I shall feel much pleased ; and 



