Field Culture of Carnations 



middle of August, according to the variety. Many carnations should not be 

 cut back after the ist of August, and some varieties must not be cut back 

 after the middle of July, otherwise the crop of bloom may be deferred into 

 midwinter, and sometimes into the following spring. There are, however, 

 a few kinds that may be cut back as late as the ist of September without 

 interfering with their blooming at or before Christmas time. Each variety 

 must be carefully studied, and the season at which cutting back is to cease 

 must be ascertained by practical experience. 



By properly following up the cutting back of any variety of carnation, 

 coupled with planting it upon the benches at its proper season, most mod- 

 ern carnations can be induced to produce a crop of flowers that will last, to 

 a large extent, throughout the winter season. But if this cutting back is 

 not correctly done, or is not done at the right time, the winter blooming 

 may be seriously interfered with, and the crop of flowers obtained at a period 

 when they are least wanted. 



Before closing this chapter, I would impress upon my readers the im- 

 portance of thorough, clean cultivation during the summer time, and of keep- 

 ing the plants in a healthy, continuous growing condition. The success of 

 securing a continuous crop of flowers during the winter will depend largely 

 upon the condition of the plants when planted upon the benches. If the 

 plant has made a strong, vigorous growth during the summer time, it will 

 have stored up a large quantity of energy which can be successfully called 

 upon during the winter time. But if the plant has not been properly treated, 

 if it has been subjected to serious checks, such as droughts, lack of proper 

 cultivation, or grown among rank weeds, where it has had to struggle for 

 an existence, its constitution will be impaired, and it will enter the trying 

 season of winter with strength insufficient to respond to the draughts which 

 are made upon it in forcing. It may be laid down as a rule, that first-class 

 results can only be expected from first-class plants ; and first-class plants can 

 only be produced by thorough, proper attention to all of the details con- 

 nected with the growing of the plants, from the selection of the wood for 

 propagating purposes, down to the time that the plants are placed upon 

 the bench, as well as after being planted in the greenhouses. This thorough 

 care as to the needs of the plant must not be at any time withheld. Many 

 growers will tell you that they have good or poor luck growing carnations. I 

 am not such a believer in the theory of luck as many, being rather of the opinion 

 that this element of luck is largely controlled by the grower himself. If he 



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