90 AMERICAN CARNATION CULTURE. 



half rotted manure, fertilize once a week with manure water. They 

 are robust and vigorous plants, but won't give much bloom, and 

 what few they do afford are small and indifferent." The Carna- 

 tion Editor without elucidating the law of vegetable life, replied. 

 "They will all come right." Healthy equalization of life forces 

 will not occur in their brief existence. The questioner can cart 

 his carnation brush to the compost pile in June without enough 

 flowers to pay him for the heat and humus he has used. 



A carnation should be started on plain food. It can be fed up 

 to physical excellence, and grand flowers. There is no reliable 

 anti-fat remedy known. A fat animal is comparatively barren. 

 A fat, or over- fed carnation plant is equally so of flowers. They 

 are but an incident in the process of fecundity. 



Formerly soils were analyzed, and the food for plants in- 

 ferred. Now plants are analyzed and their food requirements 

 supplied. To know what elements a plant is composed of is to 

 know the nutriments it needs. A reliable analysis of a definite 

 quantity of normal carnations, embracing roots, stems and leaves, 

 by Martin Smith, shows they are composed of 73.4 per cent water, 

 26.6 per cent dry matter, which was resolved into 



Silica 4-63 



Iron and Alumina 21.33 



Carbonate of Lime 22.61 



Magnesia 2.18 



Potash 29.16 



Soda 2.88 



Sulphuric Acid 3.16 



Phosphoric Acid 12.56 



Carbonic Acid Chlorine etc. . 1.49 



100.00 



This analysis is significant and conclusive in showing the 

 mineral elements needed in the chemical fertilizers, and vindi- 

 cates the experiments of fertilizers made by the Massachussetts 

 station on carnations under glass. Out of thirteen different com- 

 pounds, the one containing Sulphate of Potash with Sulphate of 

 Ammonia gave the best results as to vigor of the plants and the 



