100 VILLA GARDENING part i 



Wynn, rose blush ; Lord Lyon, cherry rose ; Lady Rokeby, 

 bkish ; Lord Clifdeu, crimson ; Lord Rokeby, magenta ; Mrs. 

 Hastie, rose ; Mrs. Bouce, carmine ; Mrs. F. M'Keuzie, scarlet ; 

 Mrs. Downie, salmon rose ; Purple Emperor, purple ; The Prince, 

 buff; William Thompson, rosy crimson. 



Some of the above varieties have been in cultivation a good 

 many years, but are none the worse for that, as new varieties, 

 possessing superior merits to the old standard sorts, are not easily 

 obtained. 



Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. — This is a little group of 

 plants which have long been groat favourites with florists of limited 

 means. They have always been made much of in the northern 

 towns, and, possessing the power of thriving in a smoky atmosphere 

 better than most evergreen plants, they are well adapted for the 

 suburban amateur. Many of the large growers keep their collection 

 always in pots, and have cool houses, covered with canvas or 

 tiffany, for their display. A collection in flower managed after 

 this fashion is a beautiful sight, but I know a good many young 

 people who grow good flowers with their plants in beds, with oidy 

 a glass frame to shelter them in winter, and a tittany blind to 

 hang over tlie bed when the plants are in blossom. For my 

 present purpose the Carnation and Picotee may be classed as one ; 

 the Pink I will speak of later on. 



Soil ami Planting. — A deep, rich, somewhat gritty loam forms 

 the best soil, and considering that a moderately -sized bed may 

 contain a good many varieties, the natural soil of the place, if of 

 indifferent quality, should be changed or improved, by taking out 

 all the bad and filhng in with good turfy loam, with which a little 

 old cow dung has been blended. Assuming that the plants ai'e 

 wintered in pots in a light, well-ventilated frame, the beds should 

 be prepared early in winter, and thrown roughly into a ridge or 

 a series of ridges, to get well pulverised and sweetened. If there 

 is any suspicion of wireworm being present, the soil should be 

 carefully turned, and every suspicious insect picked out, and, to 

 make doubly sure, after the plants are in the bed insert slices of 

 Carrot just beneath the surface, for the purpose of attracting the 

 worms, when they may be captured and destroyed. In March the 

 beds should be levelled down, and towards the end of the month, 

 or beginning of April, the plants should be put out in pairs 

 18 inches apart, which will leave plenty of room between for 

 layering the young shoots when fit for the purpose. The beds 

 may be 4 feet wide, with one row of plants along the centre and 

 a row on each side ; or they may, if desired, be only 3 feet wide, 

 containing two rows of plants only. Beds of either size with 



