6 2 Encyclopaedia of Gardening 



often marred by fungi, which cause dark blotches, rusty patches, 

 and shrivelling. The remedy is to spray the plants with water in 

 which fresh liver of sulphur has been dissolved at the rate of half an 

 ounce per gallon, and this must be done at the first sign of attack. 

 Ill-health may arise from underground enemies, such as wireworm, 

 leather -jacket grubs, and surface caterpillars, but an attack from 

 this source is generally shown in puny growth rather than patched 

 leaves. Traps of Potato and Mangel slices may be set among the 

 plants to draw off the grubs. The pieces should be impaled on 

 sticks and examined frequently. Unwonted pallor in summer 

 may be due to a maggot which works within the stems ; its burrow 

 should be found and well probed with a long needle. 



Propagation. If the plants are healthy and the soil good they 

 will produce strong, non-flowering side shoots, which can be turned 

 into separate plants by making a slit along the stem .a few inches 

 from the root stock in August, and pegging them into a small heap 

 of sandy soil. In 6 or 7 weeks, when they have rooted freely, the 

 young plants may be severed from the old ones and planted out. It 

 is, however, well to put a reserve into small pots and winter them 

 in a cool frame, giving them plenty of air in fine weather. They 

 may prove useful in filling gaps in spring. 



Summer show Carnations. A good garden self Carnation is often 

 a good show variety too, but so high is the standard of exhibition 

 quality which has been reached that it is almost impossible to 

 attain to it without growing the plants in pots, and giving them the 

 shelter of glass. A light, airy pit or greenhouse is desirable; and a 

 brisk, lively atmosphere must be maintained. With a close, warm 

 air the plants would fall a prey to disease. Loam, with a quarter of 

 decayed manure and a liberal dash of sand, makes a good compost. 

 Two plants may be grown in a /-in. or 8 -in. pot, and each re- 

 stricted to one flower stem, the buds on w r hich may be thinned to 

 three. 



Winter and spring Carnations. There are 3 sections of winter and 

 spring Carnations: the Tree, the American, and the Malmaison. 

 The Tree or Perpetual is less popular than it was, the larger flowers, 

 longer stems, and richer fragrance of the Americans having brought 

 this class (which is really a glorified Tree) into greater favour. The 

 culture is practically the same, as both kinds are raised from cut- 

 tings in spring in a warm house or frame, potted as required, grown 

 under cool, airy conditions through the summer, and flowered in 

 gently heated houses the following winter. They may be grown 

 singly in 5 -in. or 6-in. pots, in a similar compost to that recom- 

 mended for show varieties. They should be staked as needed, 

 watered regularly in summer and as required in winter, and given 

 weak liquid manure twice a week when coming into bloom. The 

 Malmaisons are given substantially the same treatment, but they 

 are not so accommodating as the others, and are easily upset by a 

 mistake in watering or ventilating. On this account they are not 

 much grown in mixed collections of plants, but are left to large 

 establishments where a separate house can be devoted to them, and 

 they can be put in charge of a skilled man. 



Carnations from seed. In days when there is not much trouble 



