22 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



also kills the Carnations. The only plan is to carefully pick 

 out the wireworms by moving the soil over ; but even then 

 many are missed during the process. Fibrous turf in a 

 well-rotted condition is certainly the best material for form- 

 ing Carnation beds, if the staple soil of the garden is not 

 suitable ; and, as turf is very seldom free from wireworms, 



the loam should be treated 

 in the following manner : 

 Make a heap of the fibrous 

 loam as it is delivered, add- 

 ing to every four loads of 

 loam a load of fresh stable 

 manure, mixing the two to- 

 gether. The manure will 

 cause sufficient heat to be 

 generated to destroy all pests 

 contained in the soil, in- 

 cluding the wireworms, and 

 the compost will be ready 

 for use in five or six months. 

 If Carnations are planted 

 in beds, four rows of plants 

 in each bed will be sum- 

 If the bed is 6 feet wide, the first two rows 



FIG. i. Showing how a layer is notched 

 before it is pegged down. 



cient. 



should be planted 6 inches from the edge ; the rows may 

 be 1 6 inches apart, and 16 inches should be allowed 

 between the plants in the rows. Autumn-planting begins 

 at about the middle of September, but it may be carried 

 out even as late as the middle of November in ordinary 

 seasons. A few of the lower leaves may be removed 

 from the plants, say one or two pairs, and the layers 



