42 CARNATIONS AND PINKS 



of August), and make a splendid display. I fill a 

 house about one hundred feet in length with them. 

 The delicious perfume and rich colours, from deep 

 rose and pink to scarlet, crimson, and maroon, 

 or the softer shades from white and blush to 

 rose and pink, are grateful. Each flower growth 

 would produce from, say, six to twelve blooms, but 

 to have really fine flowers it is best to remove all 

 the side buds and allow the centre one only to 

 develop. Of course large two-year or even three- 

 year old plants will produce a mass of flowers, one 

 large one for every growth the plant makes. The 

 potting soil does not differ from that used in the 

 case of border Carnations ; indeed the treatment is 

 the same throughout, except in regard to the size of 

 the flower-pots. One layer is put into a 3-inch or 

 3j-inch flower-pot, according to the vigour of the 

 layers. When well established it is again re-potted 

 early in the year into a 6-inch pot, and the soil 

 made firm. In addition to the compost I have re- 

 commended some growers use artificial manure, and 

 to meet the demand what is called a "Carnation 

 manure" has been produced by a few dealers. I 

 do not use this or any other artificial manure now, 

 as my experience is that it causes a coarse, sappy 

 growth, and renders the plants liable to the attacks 

 of rust and other diseases. 



PROPAGATION 



The Malmaisons are propagated in two ways, by 

 slips or cuttings and layers. Some varieties do not 



