30 THE BOOK OF THE CARNATION 



into their flowering-pots, which are, as a rule, eight 

 or nine inches in diameter, and contain each three 

 plants. After the potting operation has been completed, 

 and weather favourable, the pots are placed in the open 

 on a hard bottom of cinders, and left there till the 

 advancing buds invite removal under cover, where the 

 flowers can be protected from the vicissitudes of weather 

 and the burning sun. The chief routine treatment 

 during summer consists in the application of water, staking, 

 tying, insect destruction, and the removal of buds from the 

 stems. Some growers leave only one bud on each plant, 

 thus securing only three blooms to each pot ; but this 

 frequently tends to coarseness and to burst calyces, and I 

 believe the tendency among cultivators at present is to 

 allow three blooms to each plant. It is the practice, too, 

 with some growers to slip a gutta-percha ring halfway 

 down the still unopened bud, or to tie a strand of raffia 

 round it, and as the bloom expands, the calyx is split and 

 turned back to the tie, and the petals in like manner care- 

 fully manipulated, so that a much larger bloom than Nature 

 unaided could furnish is secured. " Run " and badly 

 placed or superabundant petals are removed, and by this 

 simple method of dressing the cultivator sees, developing 

 under his eye, blooms with few or any of the disqualify- 

 ing marks that annoy. If, however, the blooms are 

 intended for competition, a different kind of dressing must 

 be employed. As already noted, the petal is the unit. It 

 ought to be flat, or the outer edge alone somewhat turned 

 up, and the tyro will be surprised to find how many 

 varieties, otherwise beautiful, do not conform to this simple 

 test. The markings, whether a flake or a bizarre Carna- 

 tion, a white ground or a yellow ground Picotee, must 

 conform as nearly as possible to requirements. Purity of 

 ground-colour is essential, and a self-coloured petal, or a 

 bizarre with flakes must be removed, as well as all mis- 

 shapen, curled, or narrow petals, and as far as possible those 



