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Advantages oi-"an Ai'I'iliated Hor- 

 ticultural SOCILTV. 



SiK, — Will you have the kindness to 

 seud nie infonnatioii as to the means of 

 forming a Horticultural Society in this plane, 

 with particulars as to the advantages otrered 

 to such societies ? 



J. W. Gordon, Bri;/lilon. 



The great advantage of an affiliated 

 society is that it aims to give every 

 member equal benefit. In the old plan 

 the money was all spent in prizes for a 

 few, and there was nothing left to carry 

 out the other important provisions of the 

 Act, viz : (i) Giving members horticul- 

 tural reading ; (2) distributing valuable 

 seeds and plants among members ; (3) 

 holding lectures on horticultural sub- 

 jects. Affiliated societies get all these 

 from the Ontario Association, and in 

 addition have money to supplement 

 each of these good things. 



Cupid Sweet Ve\. 



Sir, — I see in January number that 

 the Cupid sweet pea is a failure. At 

 our horticultural show last fall the Cupid 

 sweet pea was exhibited, and of course 

 admired, as it was new ; but some one 

 interested cut a bunch of the Herbaceous 

 pea, and as it has no perfume, they were 

 taken to a drug store and perfume put 

 on to them, and was then named Cupid's 

 Brother, and it was fun beyond a doubt 

 to see every one take and smell this 

 bunch and admire the Brother more 

 than Cupid. 



R. Ca.meron, Gardener, 

 Niagara Falls Park. 



Desoronto. — Mr. D. McClew, Secre- 

 tary Desoronto Horticultural Society, 

 writes that the local paper, the Tribune, 

 is devoting one column to the interests 



of the Society, and that in this column 

 is published the papers read at the 

 meetings of the Society, and also any 

 special contributions from the members. 

 The first paper contributed is given 

 below on " The Carnation as a House 

 Plant." 



The Carnation as a House Plant. 

 — Possibly of many kinds of plants 

 the carnation is least fitted to be a 

 room plant. Few things are so sensi- 

 tive in regard to an abundance of light. 

 Florists who raise carnations under glass 

 always choose the brightest and best 

 houses for them. Outside the lack of 

 light there is no other trouble more 

 than falls to any other plant. Seed 

 may be sown under glass in the spring, 

 or in the open ground, they will flower 

 the second summer. Some will prove 

 single and others semi-double. Young 

 plants are perfectly hardy, but when old 

 are injured in the winter. A succession 

 of plants should be procured, either 

 from seeds or from layers each year. 

 Layering should be done in mid-sum- 

 mer; this is simply cutting a slit in a 

 young shoot to obstruct the sap. Re- 

 move the earth a few inches in depth, 

 and press down the branch so that the 

 slit will open, and then cover with soil. 

 Roots will push out where the cut was 

 made, and thus a new plant will be 

 formed. Carnations like a night tem- 

 perature of 55 degrees. If wanted for 

 winter blooming keep all flower shoots 

 pinched off up to the middle of August : 

 pot up first of September ; do not use 

 too large pots ; shade and spray until 

 established, then give all the sun you 

 can and spray every sunny day. The 

 carnation is the most magnificent of all 

 the Dianthus family. Flowers large, 

 beautiful and delightfully fragrant. 



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