16 ON CARNATION CULTURE. 



himself "A Journeyman Gardener," to indulge a little in petty and 

 uncalled-for personalities, I trust that I am not expecting too much 

 when I hope that you will allow me space for these few brief remarks 

 in reply. 



Your correspondent begins by informing us that he is "a very 

 young and enthusiastic person ;" and that though " he cannot boast of 

 much self-practical experience, yet he has operated as directed by the 

 instructions and practice of several gardeners of eminence;" and this 

 being the case, he " feels assured that he has obtained a small portion 

 of floricultural knowledge." He then edifies us with the truism, 

 that " the comparative value of gardening periodicals entirely depends 

 upon the sound philosophy and practical experience of the contri- 

 butors," and then accuses me of handling the culture of the Carnation 

 in a " circuitous " manner, thus occupying one-third of his article 

 with an introductory portion relative to himself. 



Now, Mr. Editor, there is no one knows better than yourself that I 

 have never wished to occupy the pages of the Cabinet to the exclu- 

 sion of better matter, and if I have in this instance exhausted the 

 patience of the "Journeyman Gardener" without profiting a 

 "Young Beginner," your judgment is to blame, and not my pre- 

 sumption in sending you the article. Had, however, the " Journey- 

 man Gardener" been editor in January, and the seven-page article 

 complained of undergone his hydraulic pressure, it would then have 

 appeared compressed into less than four lines, which certainly you 

 will say would be brevity with a vengeance, and would render your 

 work a multum in parvo indeed. That the article in question shows 

 me to have had some " practical experience " I think few of your 

 readers will dispute; whether it displays that "sound philosophy" 

 demanded by the " Journeyman Gardener," I will leave for 

 impartial and unprejudiced readers to determine. 



Let us now see if the four lines, as he has put them down, contain 

 all that is necessary for the " Young Beginner " to know respecting 

 the management of his plants. J say they do nothing of the kind. 

 The " Young Beginner," in this floricultural age, distinguished in 

 many places for friendly and yet sharp floral competition, may very 

 probably have lately bought in a stock of Carnations, with the inten- 

 tion of becoming a competitor the ensuing season for the first time. 

 If this be so, we shall suppose that he adopts my advice as com- 



