170 ON THE CULTIVATION OF THK CARNATIOX. 



above their fibres, cleaning them, ami cutting off the decayed 

 points of their leaves. The ball is to be carefully placed in the 

 centre of the pot, and the space between it and the sides filled up 

 with the prepa]"ed compost. It is very necessary to be attentive 

 in placing the plants, that they be neither planted deeper nor 

 shallower than they were before ; the compost should, thei'efore, 

 be high enough to replace the old earth that was rubbed ofl' in 

 potting. WTien the plants are thus potted off for bloom, the pots 

 should be placed in an airy part of the garden, under an arch of 

 hoops, that in case of cold drying winds, heavy r.iins, or frosty 

 nights, mats may be thrown over, to preserve tliem from the effects 

 of such unfavourable weather; in this situation they are to remain, 

 always open to the air, except in the cases above mottioned, and 

 be kept regularly watered with soft water as often as appears requi- 

 site. When their flower stems are grown 8 or 10 inches high, it 

 will be necessary to support them with sticks forced into the eaitli 

 in the centre of the pot, to which the stems are to be loosely tied 

 with small pieces of bass mat ; these sticks should be as high as 

 the hoops will admit, in order that the pots may remain under 

 them as long as possible ; but when the stems are grown too high 

 for this situation, the pots are to be removed to the stage, and re- 

 main there till the time of blooming. The small sticks should be 

 replaced with others more suitable for the occasion ; these should 

 be four feet long, regularly tapering a little from the bottom, and 

 be painted green. If any small, green, winged insects apjiear on 

 the stems or foliage of the plants, particularly upon or imdenieath 

 the flower pods, they must be effectually extii-pated or destroyed, 

 either by means of a small soft brush or feather, by the application 

 of a strong infusion of tobacco-water, or some similar easy and safe 

 expedient. The calyx of many sorts contain a great number of 

 petals, which, as they increase in bulk, will distend and burst it 

 if not timely prevented; this generally happens a few days pre- 

 vious to the proper time for the blossoms o])ening, and will, if 

 neglected, soon manifest the effects of such neglect, by letting out 

 the jietals on one side, thereby producing a loose irregular appear- 

 ance, totally destrojang that compact, graceful, circular* fonn which 

 a ])crfect flower ought to possess, and which is one of its greatest 

 ornaments ; but this disagreeable effect may be easily avoided by 

 fastening a small narrow slip of bladder round the middle of tlic 



