TIIE CARNATION. 49 



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receive no check, the need of making use of insecticides 

 and fungicides will l>e greatly lessened. 



The soil upon the shallow beds should be replaced 

 each year, but upon deep, solid beds only the surface 

 need be removed, as, unless it has become wet and sour, 

 t will only require the addition of manure and a little 

 fresh soil to grow another crop. If soil is hard to obtain 

 for the beds, the old soil may be used again, if it is 

 spread out thin and seeded with rye in August. By 

 turning this under, and adding a good dressing of 

 manure in the spring, it will be sweetened and supplied 

 with the needed fiber and plant food. 



Among the trials of the carnation grower are the 

 troubles known as the "bursting of the calyx," and the 

 "sleep of the carnation." The former is most common 

 when the plants have been stimulated by high feeding, 

 or grown at a high temperature and in a moist air. It 

 is particularly likely to occur if the plants have pre- 

 viously been kept quite cool. What is commonly known 

 as "sleep" in carnations may also be due to a variety of 

 causes. Among them are sudden and extreme changes 

 of temperature, too close, too hot, or too dry an atmos- 

 phere, too much smoke, gas, lack of water, some injury 

 to the roots, too much fertilizer, and anything else that 

 can disturb the nutrition of the plant. 



VARIETIES. 



"With the large number of seedlings that are brought 

 out each year it is not probable that any list can be given 

 that will be of permanent value, although in the points 

 that go to make up a good carnation the following vari- 

 stand qiyte high, and will probably be found valu- 

 able for several years. The commercial grower will do 

 bei t to confine himself, for the most part, to a few stand- 

 ard sorts that he has tested, and which do well with his 

 soil and care, but in order that he may keep up with the 

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