Gardening for Amateurs 



351 



but colouring as well. In all cases bands 

 should be affixed." 



I should like to emphasise what Mr. 

 Douglas says above about the necessity cf 

 using rubber bands, even in the case of 

 Carnations which have strong calyces. There 

 are always possibilities of a calyx splitting 

 naturally, and in addition to this I find that 

 bees do much damage this way. I have 

 watched a bee deliberately splitting a calyx 

 and coming out through it, instead of climb- 

 ing out the way it went in. 



The Carnations in their big pots may 

 stand outside until they begin to show colour, 

 then they must be placed under glass if 

 possible, to avoid the risks of changeable 

 weather to the opening flowers. If there 

 is not room under glass for all the pots, 

 Jeffries' shades should be used to protect 

 those pots which have to remain in the open, 

 and unless the weather be exceptionally 

 trying, with care they may do well. When 

 under glass it is possible by shading to retard 

 blooming, if it is feared the flowers will be 

 in perfection too soon. 



Preparing Blooms for Show. As re- 

 gards the care of the blooms at the time of 

 the show, in hot weather it is best to cut 

 them early in the morning of the day pre- 

 ceding the show, placing them in water in 

 a cool place for twenty-four hours. But if 

 the weather be cool and shady, evening 

 picking may answer. But in any case the 

 flowers should stand in water for some hours 

 before they start for the show. In packing 

 great care must be taken to prevent crushing 

 the petals. 



The "Dressing" of Carnations is a 

 highly scientific process, outside the scope 

 of this article. But I would like to mention 

 that the Schedule of the National Carnation 

 Society (Southern Section) contains the 

 following notice : " The judges will be in- 

 structed to disqualify any blooms that they 

 consider have been dressed in the ' Classes 

 for Flowers shown as grown.' " Carnations 

 on cards must, of course, be dressed ; they 

 may be considered to represent the ideal 

 Carnation ; and as a matter of fact the newer 

 and better varieties which have been intro- 



fixed befcre 

 colours/tons 



How Carnations are disbudded (.to rtftrentti in ttxt). 



