6 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



stant fighting to resist the ambitious schemes of Napoleon, 

 which culminated in his total defeat at Waterloo, were 

 serious hindrances to the peaceful arts. A long period 

 of peace ensued, and every description of gardening made 

 rapid strides ; Carnations, Tulips, Auriculas, Pinks, Ranun- 

 culi, and other favourite florist's flowers were improved 

 year by year. Those engaged in their cultivation held 

 frequent meetings, standards of excellence were set up, 

 and, so far as Carnations are concerned, the standard has 

 not since been altered materially, as may be seen in the 

 latest publication 1 by the Royal Horticultural Society. 



But these early cultivators, in their eagerness to obtain 

 large, richly coloured flowers, used highly stimulating 

 manures, and they overfed the plants to such an extent 

 that the varieties remained vigorous only for a very few 

 years. There were so many amateur raisers and cultivators 

 that a rapid succession of seedling varieties speedily re- 

 placed those that fell out of cultivation. 



A very enthusiastic amateur named Thomas Hogg, 

 a schoolmaster of Paddington Green, who cultivated the 

 Carnation successfully in the early years of the nineteenth 

 century, wrote a book on the flower which passed through 

 several editions. He recommended less stimulating com- 

 posts to prevent the "running" of the flowers, as it is 

 termed, of the Flakes and Bizarres ; but even his less rich 

 compost contained as much manure as loam ; and not 

 content with this, the plants were to be surface-dressed with 

 a compost " in which the chief ingredients are sugar-baker's 

 scum, soap-boiler's waste, night soil, the dung of pigeons 

 and poultry in general, blood, soot, lime, gypsum, etc., etc." 

 After this list, one wonders what might be included in 



1 Code of Rules for Judges. 



