CARNATIONS IN POTS 27 



of moisture. In the establishment to which I belong, we 

 use a large quantity of loam. It is stacked up six months 

 before using, as previously advised, and we have no trouble 

 with wireworm, or with another pest known as the leather- 

 coated grub. The flower-pots usually preferred are what 

 the pot-makers term 24*5 and i6's that is, 24 and 16 to a 

 cast and they should measure 8 inches and 9 inches in 

 diameter respectively. Two plants are put into the smaller 

 size, and three into the larger ones. When the plants are 

 especially strong and well grown, a larger size is used, namely, 

 12 to a cast of pots ; these have a diameter of 10 inches. 

 Three plants in this large size have an excellent effect. The 

 plants must be potted firmly, and, if the weather is unfavour- 

 able, room may be found for them in the frames ; but it saves 

 a deal of extra labour if they are placed at once out-of-doors. 

 On one occasion, many years ago, when Flakes, Bizarres, 

 and white-ground Picotees only were grown for exhibition, 

 I had partly finished repotting a collection and the plants 

 were scarcely placed out-of-doors on a hard base formed of 

 ashes before severe weather set in and they were covered 

 with snow. Repotting was discontinued until favourable 

 weather, but, as a matter of fact, those that were exposed to 

 the snow-storm proved quite as satisfactory as those which 

 were not repotted until later. 



During the spring months the plants do not require 

 much water ; even the repotted plants which have been 

 placed under glass ought not to receive water until the 

 soil is fairly dry, say ten days or so after repotting. If 

 the weather in March is fairly mild, the plants will make 

 considerable growth, and, at about the end of April or 

 early in May, they will need to be supported with stakes, 



