CARNATION 



CARNATION 



249 



Summer Treatment. The young plants are carefully 

 hardened in the spring, to enable them to be planted 

 in the open field in May. Various soils have given 

 good results. A sandy soil yields fine plants if a drought 

 does not prevail ; a clay soil will make short, stiff 

 plants, which are slow to 

 yield flowers in the fall ; 

 a sandy loam is the best 

 soil. 



The field soil is well pre- 

 pared by applying a liberal 

 quantity of well- 

 rotted manure or 

 an equivalent in 

 V commercial ferti- 

 lizer, plowing 

 deeply and har- 

 rowing thorough- 

 ly. The plants are 

 then set, as soon 

 as danger from heavy frosts is 

 past, putting them 10 inches 

 apart, in rows 12 inches apart 

 if to be worked entirely by 

 hand, and 3 feet apart if to be 

 worked with horse and culti- 

 vator. Throughout the summer 

 the plants are kept free from 

 weeds and frequently culti- 

 vated. No blossoming by plants 

 intended for winter flowering 

 is permitted. All rising shoots 

 are cut back to 2-4 inches as 

 fast as they appear. Such prun- 

 ing ceases about August 1 to 10. 

 In the month of September the 

 plants are lifted and planted 

 upon the benches. Some grow- 

 ers transplant with "balls" of 

 ground, others without any soil 

 clinging to the roots. 



Winter Treatment. The Car- 

 nation house usually stands east 

 and west, and is provided with 

 both raised and solid benches. 

 Much experience and a long 

 controversy have resulted in 

 the conclusion that some varie- 

 ties of Carnations should be 

 planted on raised benches and 

 others on solid benches. The 

 soil is prepared some time pre- 

 368. Grenadin Carnation, vious to its use, with three- 

 (X %.) fourths loam and one-fourth 



well-rotted manure, turning 



several times to thoroughly mix the elements. About 

 September 1 it is placed on the benches, enough to be 

 4 or 5 inches deep when settled. The plants are set 8 

 to 12 inches apart each way, watered thoroughly, and 

 syringed frequently until established. Staking is nec- 

 essary to keep the branches off the ground and the flow- 

 ers above the foliage. Various arrange- 

 ments of wires and strings are devised. 

 The use of plant-stakes has been universally 

 abandoned. 



The temperature of the Carnation house 

 is maintained at 50 to 55 F. at night and 

 about 10 warmer in the daytime, during 

 the whole winter. The proper use of water 

 maintains a healthy growth, ensures sub- 

 stantial flowers, and prevents red spider. 

 On bright days the houses are freely 

 syringed. Fertilizers are used with great 

 liberality on the plants in the benches, and 

 with good results. Liquid manures from 

 horse, cow, sheep or hen droppings, diluted 369. Carna- 

 to the color of weak tea, are applied about t i on cutting, 

 once a week, beginning about January 1, 

 or a mulch of well-rotted cow manure is put over the 

 ground after the plants become well set. Disbudding is 

 practiced to produce large flowers on stiff stems. 



Carnations are not very seriously annoyed by insects 

 or fungous diseases. The red spider is usually kept 



under control by syringing judiciously with water, and 

 the greenfly by fumigation with rose-leaf extract or the 

 use of tobacco stems on the floor of the house. Three 

 fungous diseases have recently become annoying ; viz., 

 rust (Uromyces caryophyllinus, Schr.), anthracnose 

 ( Volutella sp.), and spot or blight (Septoria Dianthi, 

 Desm). The best treatment is to destroy diseased plants 

 and to spray the rest with Bordeaux mixture. 



Varieties are constantly changing. The following 

 represent the common range of variation : 



White- Lizzie McGowan (Fig. 372), Ivory, Alaska, 

 Uncle John, Flora Hill, White Cloud. 



Pink-Wm. Scott Daybreak (Fig. 374), Albertini, 

 Bridesmaid, Delia Fox, Triumph, Victor. 



Scarlet Hector, Portia, Dazzle, Jubilee (Fig. 373). 



Variegated Minnie Cook, Helen Keller, Mrs. Geo. 

 M. Bradt, Armazindy. 



Yellow Eldorado, Buttercup, Mayor Pingree, Gold 

 Nugget. 



Crimson-Meteor, Tidal Wave, Cartledge. 



Carnations in Pots. For pot culture, the Carnation 

 is propagated and treated as previously described in 

 field culture up to the time of lifting the plants, when 

 they are taken up and planted singly in pots, 4-, 5-. 



370. Layer of Carnation. 

 The parent stem was severed at S. 



6-, or 7-inch sizes, suiting them to the size of the plants. 

 If the heading-back was not continued too late in the 

 field, many plants may be in bud in October and be 

 excellent specimens for fall sales. The bulk of the 

 potted plants, however, are intended for spring sales, 

 and are carried over the winter in well-built coldframes, 

 left uncovered as long as fine weather will permit ; 

 frosts and even light freezes will not hurt the plants. 

 At the approach of severe weather, sashes are covered 

 over the plants, but on mild days liberal ventilation is 

 given, and during extreme winter cold additional cov- 

 ering is placed over the frames. About the first of 

 March these plants are brought into a coolhouse, and 

 one month later they are graced with a profusion of 

 buds and blossoms ; with proper care they will continue 

 to flower throughout the summer. The varieties pre- 

 ferred for pots are those of dwarf habit, with stems stiff 

 enough to hold up the flowers without staking. In 

 color, the varieties known as " fancies " are usually more 

 salable than those with single colors. Varieties recom- 

 mended for pot culture are Portia, Mrs. Fisher, Grace 

 Wilder, Buttercup, American Flag, Robert Craig, 

 E. G. Hill. 



OTHER CARNATIONS. Aside from the forcing Carna- 

 tions, the following groups receive attention in this 

 country: 



Carnation, Malmaison. This is a group of varieties 

 grown in Europe. It is said ( Revue Horticole, 1888) that 

 the original variety of the group was taken from La Mal- 

 maison in the time of Napoleon I. It was pure white in 

 color, but now all the shades of red are in the group. 

 The flowers are very large, even 6 inches in diameter 

 with good culture. The plants are dwarf, very florifer 



