General Greenhouse Culture 



bound. A carnation plant turned out of a pot in a healthy, vigorous grow- 

 ing condition is, for the purpose of growing on for forcing, worth double 

 one that is pot-bound or growing in a sour and sodden soil. I will venture 

 the statement that a well-grown carnation plant suitable for forcing should 

 never have been subjected to a serious check in its growth if it is expected to 

 produce the best results. 



Planting Carnations in the Field 



The usual method of treating carnations in the summer time is to plant 

 them in the field. There are advocates of different methods of planting. 

 One recommends planting in beds, in rows eighteen inches apart, the plants 

 a foot or so apart in the row, cultivation being by wheel or scuffle hoe and 

 the ordinary hoeing. Another recommends field culture, so-called ; that is, 

 planting in rows from two to three feet apart, and the plants ten to twelve 

 inches apart in the row, using a horse hoe for cultivation, supplemented with 

 hand hoeing. Where the grower has unlimited ground, I prefer the field 

 cultivation ; but where the ground for growing plants is restricted, about as 

 good results are secured from planting in beds. 



In soils producing a rank, strong growth, the plants should be set rather 

 farther apart than in soils where the growth is moderate. In rich soils, a 

 good rule is to have the rows twenty inches apart, and the plants twelve 

 to fourteen inches apart in the row. Any standard hand-wheel hoe that stirs 

 the soil thoroughly, but not deeply, may be used in cultivating between the 

 rows. 



Preparing Field Soils 



Of the several methods in vogue of preparing the soil for field culture, 

 nothing is more practicable nor better than thoroughly manuring with well- 

 rotted stable manure, ploughing it in and harrowing thoroughly. (See 

 chapter on preparation of soils for field culture.) 



Cutting Back or Stopping 



During the summer time, blooming shoots should be cut back at least as 

 often as every two weeks. The best results, and the most even and con- 

 tinuous blooming in winter, are obtained by going over the plants once each 

 week and cutting back only those shoots that are pushing well forward into 

 bud. Varieties that are inclined to come into bud late, such as Prosperity and 

 others of like character, should not be topped after the ist to the middle 

 of July. But very early blooming varieties, such as Alpine Glow, William 



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