THE CARNATION". 31 



feet and ten inches. If the smaller distance is used, 

 every ninth row should not be planted, aud the soil 

 worked with a hand cultivator, while the larger spaces 

 between the rows will admit of cultivation with a horse, 

 which will greatly lessen the amount of hand labor re- 

 quired, and where land is not high priced, this practice 

 should be employed whenever possible. 



PLANTING OUT AND CULTIVATION. 



Having marked out the rows at the distance fixed 

 upon, the ground should be cross-marked at intervals of 

 from ten to twelve inches, for the plants. In planting the 

 carnations, they should be set deep enough so that they 

 are held firmly in place. If this is neglected, the plants 

 may be blown about and perhaps ruined, but care should 

 be taken that they are not too deep, as, particularly if on 

 wet, heavy soil, and in a wet season, they will be apt to rot 

 at the collar. Among the other causes that may produce 

 stem rot is injury in the cutting bed, and if at planting 

 out time any of the cuttings appear injured, as often hap- 

 pens from too much water with too high a temperature 

 and too little air, they should not be planted. 



During the summer the plants should be frequently 

 cultivated, thus both keeping the weeds down and, by 

 breaking the crust, forming a mulch conserving the 

 moisture. It is a good plan to stir the soil as soon as it 

 is dry after every rain, and even if no rain has fallen 

 and no weeds are in sight, a shallow cultivation once in 

 four or five days during the summer will be of benefit 

 to the plants. If the soil is poor, an occasional applica- 

 tion of liquid manure, or bone meal is often desirable. 



The only additional care that they require is the 

 pinching out of all flower stalks that start, as soon as 

 four or five offshoots form at the base of the stem ; this 

 should be discontinued by the middle of July on plants 

 designed for early blooming, but on others may be kept 

 up until the middle of August. 



