Carnation Culture in Richmond, Indiana 



propagation, and their treatment while being rooted on the bench. Healthy, 

 vigorous side-shoots are selected; these are placed in clean, sharp sand, 

 and are rooted in as cool a temperature as is practicable. It is absolutely 

 essential that the sand be in the right condition ; it must be clean, gritty, and 

 free from loam, or other extraneous material. It is now generally believed 

 that much of the disease called stem-rot is generated in impure sand, aided 

 by a too-warm temperature. The sand is seldom used more than once, unless 

 it be washed and dried thoroughly between times. 



After the cuttings are rooted thoroughly, they are either pricked off 

 into shallow flats, or planted out on the bench in a good carnation soil. The 

 endeavor is made to keep this young stock in a house by itself, giving 

 an abundance of air, and keeping a close watch to prevent the insect enemies 

 of the carnation from getting a foothold. This is very important, for severe 

 injury is often inflicted upon young stock by these pests, from which they 

 never fully recover. 



Here, at Richmond, the young plants are set out in the open ground 

 as early in the spring as the soil can be worked. This method is preferred 

 to growing indoors through the summer, though a few varieties like Mrs. 

 Thomas W. Lawson are cultivated in the house, with very satisfactory 

 results. 



The preparation of the field for growing carnations is very important. 

 If the ground is low, or inclined to be wet, underdraining is resorted to ; 

 if the ground is a stiff clay loam, it is the better for being sub-soiled. 

 Manure is applied, old well-rotted humus being preferred. This is placed 

 on the soil the preceding summer, and is ploughed in, to thoroughly incor- 

 porate it with the soil, and to render it easy of assimilation by the plants. A 

 Planet Junior wheel hoe is used in cultivation ; the rows being about twenty 

 inches apart. 



The matter of pinching is largely a question of variety, some sorts requir- 

 ing more nipping back than others. 



If climatic conditions are favorable, we prefer lifting our plants the 

 latter part of July, usually finishing early in August. 



We use for compost, for indoor planting, a good loam, enriched with 

 one-eighth manure and with a liberal admixture of bone-flour ; this is com- 

 posted usually a year in advance, and is turned at least once before using. 

 We place four to five inches of soil on our benches in which the plants are 

 grown. We prefer for the bottoms of our benches the ordinary soft three- 

 inch clay tile ; these tiles afford a good drainage, and their porous character 

 prevents anything like over-watering in dark weather. 



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