Stove and Greenhouse Plants and Flowers 147 



the remains of an old hotbed. To a barrowload of this may be added about 

 3 Ib. of coarse bone meal, and a similar quantity of wood ashes. At this 

 final potting the soil should be well rammed into the pots with a flat stick. 



As regards indoor or outdoor summer culture opinions are divided. 

 During wet seasons, and where light and airy houses are available, indoor 

 cultivation throughout is to be recommended. If the season, however, is 

 favourable it appears to be an advantage to the plants to be placed in the 

 open from about June to the middle of August. 



FINAL STOPPING. The final stopping should be done when the plants 

 are in the flowering pots, not later than the end of June. With quick- 

 growing varieties the middle of July, however, will be late enough to stop 

 the plants if an autumn and early -winter crop of flowers is desired. 

 Varieties that make many shoots at the base of the plants, like Britannia, 

 Mrs. Burnett, Mikado, &c., should be stopped not later than the beginning 

 of June; others, like Enchantress, White Perfection, &c., can be stopped 

 as late as the middle of July. 



STAKING, TYING, OR WIRING. This should be attended to immediately 

 after the final potting, and every shoot must receive attention, as each one 

 now means a flower during the winter months. 



The winter temperature should be kept as near as possible at 50 F. 

 during the night, with a slight rise, say to 55 F., during the daytime. 

 It is, however, advisable to commence firing rather early in the season in 

 order to exclude the damp autumn air from the houses. After January 

 the temperature may be increased by 2 to 4 degrees if the weather is 

 fairly bright and congenial. Ventilation should be given daily if at all 

 possible, even if the fires have to be forced a little more to keep the 

 temperature at the proper point. Watering should be done sparingly 

 during the winter; but in spring, when the plants are growing fast, plenty 

 is required. About April, when the sun gets powerful, a daily syringing 

 before noon will be found beneficial. 



DISBUDDING. This must be attended to as soon as the buds are large 

 enough to handle easily. This means, of course, that all except the crown 

 or terminal bud on each shoot must be removed if long-stemmed flowers 

 are required. Should pot plants be wanted for decorative purposes it is 

 advisable to let all buds develop into flowers. Artificial manure should not 

 be given until about Christmas, when a light dressing of bone meal will be 

 found beneficial. Later in February, and especially from March and April 

 onwards, when the plants grow very rapidly, some of the stronger and 

 quicker-acting manures, such as guano and special carnation mixtures, that 

 are now prepared by most manure merchants and Carnation specialists, 

 should be given at frequent intervals. How much and how often depends 

 upon the condition of the plants if strong and fast growing a weekly dose 

 would not be too much. 



DISEASES AND PESTS. These are sometimes troublesome, and here, as 

 in other cases, the grower will find that " prevention is better than cure ". 

 A light weekly spraying with one of the commercial nicotine solutions will 



