CAR 



[197] 



CAR 



Mix them together three months before 

 using, and turn them over together 

 three or four times. 



Spring and Summer Culture. About 

 the end of March is the right time to 

 put the carnations into their blooming 

 pots. They are generally grown in 

 pairs, but this is not a necessary point. 

 The pots for blooming should be eleven 

 inches across, well drained with broken 

 potsherds, and the compost not sifted, 

 but in using it keep a sharp eye upon 

 the wireworm. As soon as all are potted 

 set them upon a bed of coal ashes, in a 

 sheltered part of the garden ; give water 

 when necessary. Whenever the plants 

 begin to send up their flower-stems, 

 place sticks to them of the size and 

 height they will require when in bloom. 

 Tie very slackly, or the stems will be- 

 come knee'd, and perhaps break ; to 

 prevent which, pay attention constantly 

 to the ties. 



When the buds are nearly full grown, 

 thin out the least promising, leaving 

 the most plump and healthy. Just be- 

 fore they break, or burst, place an 

 India-rubber ring round each bud, or 

 a ribband of bass-mat : this prevents the 

 buds bursting on one side. Shade them 

 from sun and heavy rains. 



Autumn and Winter Culture. As soon 

 as the bloom is over, cut down the 

 flower-stems and expose the plants to 

 the full sun and rain. Take off the 

 layers as soon as they are rooted ; put 

 them into five -inch pots in pairs, place 

 them in cold frames, shading them from 

 the sun until they make fresh roots, then 

 expose them again to the weather till 

 the winter frosts begin to take place, 

 and then keep the lights on, protecting 

 them from heavy rains and frost ; but, 

 on all favourable occasions, during mild, 

 fine weather draw the lights entirely off 

 during the day, shutting them up at 

 night and covering them up securely 

 whenever there is an appearance of 

 severe frost. 



Forcing. Carnations may be success- 

 fully forced, choosing the freest growers, 

 potting them singly early into eight- 

 inch pots, and placing them in gentle 

 heat (55) early in January. There is 

 a variety called the Tree carnation, which 

 answers best for forcing. Lately there 



have been imported from the continent 

 several handsome and full -flowering 

 Tree carnations, which are a great addi- 

 tion to our winter flowers. To bloom 

 these in the greatest perfection, they 

 should not be allowed to flower the first 

 year, but should be repotted when 

 rooted into eight-inch pots, the tops 

 nipped off to make them bushy, and no 

 flower- stems allowed to rise till the 

 autumn following. They will then send 

 up several stems, and flower all the 

 winter in the greenhouse or conserva- 

 tory. Tree carnations are propagated 

 by pipings ; and as the same method of 

 propagating by pipings is proper for 

 the florists' varieties, we shall describe . 

 it briefly. It is done as follows : pre- 

 pare as many pots as are wanted for 

 the purpose ; fill them nearly full of the 

 compost above described, and the re- 

 maining space with silver sand ; prepare 

 the piping by cutting off a stem quite 

 smooth at the third joint, then carefully 

 slit the joint just through, and insert the 

 pipings in the sand, pretty thickly all over 

 the pot ; place them upon a gentle hot- 

 bed on a layer of sifted coal ashes, or 

 river sand ; place the lights on and 

 shade from the sun till they are rooted, 

 then harden them off gradually, and pot 

 them into small pots, if Tree carnations, 

 singly if show varieties, in pairs of the 

 same kind, and repot them as directed 

 above. 



Exhibiting. In June, or beginning of 

 July, the plants will be considerably 

 advanced towards flowering, and they 

 should be put upon stages or stands. 

 The posts or supporters of the stage 

 should be surrounded at the bottom by 

 small cups of water to exclude slugs ; 

 and by placing the plants on a stage, 

 having the platform eighteen inches or 

 two feet high, the flowers are viewed to 

 more advantage ; and if there is erected 

 an awning over the top, supported four 

 feet above the platform, the flowers 

 being screened from the heat of the mid- 

 day sun, and defended from heavy rains, 

 are continued much longer in beauty. 



With respect to the cups of water 

 above mentioned, they are earthen or 

 leaden, about fifteen inches wide, and 

 three or four deep, having a hollow or 

 vacancy in the middle six inches wide, 



