Gardening for Amateurs 



495 



Carnations, and those that encourage growth 

 only without helping to form large blooms 

 of good colour and substance should be 

 avoided. Ordinary fertilisers are not the 

 best for Carnations, but almost any of the 

 well-known proprietary manures that are 

 recommended for these plants exclusively 

 will give good results. From November to 

 January manures should be applied spar- 

 ingly, but after that the plants will readily 

 respond to judicious feeding. Look over 

 them carefully several times during the 

 winter, and remove any leaves that are 

 diseased or have decayed. Keep the growths 

 tied to their supports. 



An important point in the management of 

 Perpetual Carnations that is often neglected 

 is to cut the blooms with long stems. If 

 this is not done the plants soon get very 

 leggy, but when the stems are cut off fairly 



low down young growths are produced 

 from near the base, and the plants retain 

 their bushy character. 



Insect Pests and Diseases. Greenfly 

 will do damage to the young growths and 

 opening buds if it is not kept in check ; per- 

 haps the best way to keep it down is to 

 fumigate the house once a fortnight with 

 nicotine compound. Red spider ought not 

 to be allowed to gain a footing if due atten- 

 tion is paid to all cultural details, but 

 spraying the plants with nicotine soap in- 

 secticide, applying it with force under the 

 foliage, will destroy it. A mixture of salt 

 and water is also used as a spray with 

 good results ; 1 ounce of salt to 1 gallon of 

 water is the correct strength. 



Rust is sometimes troublesome, and it 

 attacks certain varieties more than others. 

 Syringing the foliage with fungicides should 



A prize-winning exhibit of Perpetual Carnations. 



