Gardening for Amateurs 



can be removed entirely ; give water as it 

 is required. 



When the layers are well rooted it is ad- 

 visable to sever them from the old plants 

 several days before they are taken up for 

 potting. Lift them carefully with a small 

 hand fork, and pot separately in 60-sized 

 pots. Some light rich soil, consisting of 

 2 parts loam and 1 part leaf-soil, with the 

 addition of a little coarse sand, is suitable. 

 Pot firmly, and take care not to damage the 

 roots in doing so. The young plants should 

 be returned to a cold frame and watered. 

 Keep the frame close for a few days, shade 

 them lightlv from bright sunshine, and spray 

 with the syringe during bright weather. 

 When they become well established admit 

 air freely. Some growers prefer to pot them 

 on into 6-inch pots in autumn, and others 

 leave them in the small pots until spring. 

 Those that are rooted in good time may be 

 potted in autumn, especially if the work 

 can be accomplished during October ; later 

 potting is not advisable. This time use 3 

 parts good fibrous loam, 1 part leaf-soil, 

 with the addition of some crushed charcoal 

 and silver sand. Broken bricks or old mortar 

 rubble crushed finely are also a valuable 

 addition if the loam is inclined to be heavy. 

 Malmaisons need to be potted firmly. Water- 

 ing requires especial care ; during winter the 

 soil should be kept somewhat dry, only giving 

 water to prevent it from becoming really 

 dry. To a very large extent the secret of 

 success with these Carnations lies in the 

 judicious use of the watering-can. 



During cold weather a temperature of 

 38 or 40 is quite sufficient, as too much 

 warmth excites premature growth. It is 

 important to keep the plants as near the 

 glass as possible to ensure their obtaining the 

 maximum amount of light, and it is equally 

 necessary to maintain a dry, buoyant 

 atmosphere. Malmaisons are practically dor- 

 mant during winter, hence the necessity for 

 keeping a cool, even temperature. When 

 spring potting is practised March is the best 

 time to commence the work, just as the 

 plants are making new growth. 



As soon as the flower-spikes commence to 

 develop, the plants derive benefit from occa- 

 sional light top-dressings of Carnation manure, 

 and weak soot water is also beneficial. Stake 



and tie them when they need support, 

 using green sticks and green raffia for the 

 purpose. After the buds show colour it is 

 necessary to shade them from bright sun- 

 shine. To obtain large plants for flowering 

 a second year they are potted into 9 -inch 

 or 10-inch pots immediately after the 

 blooms are cut, using similar soil to that 

 recommended before. Do not stand the 

 plants out in the open, but grow them under 

 glass. If there are numerous growths it is 

 preferable to remove some of the weak ones ; 

 ten or twelve to each plant are sufficient. 



Maintain a perfectly dry atmosphere dur- 

 ing the winter months, but in summer it is 

 an advantage to syringe between the pots, 

 taking care, however, not to wet the foliage. 

 The perpetual flowering Malmaisons are 

 propagated in the same way as Perpetual 

 Carnations, and the treatment given should 

 be the same as described for the latter 

 flowers. 



The Best Perpetual Carnations. 

 Good Carnations are now so numerous, that 

 when only a comparatively small number 

 can be grown it is difficult to know which 

 to select ; but the following can be recom- 

 mended. 



Pink Shades. Among the pink varieties 

 Baroness de Brienen is a bright shade of 

 salmon flesh pink ; the blooms are large, 

 slightly fimbriated, and produced on sturdy, 

 erect stems. Empire Day has beautiful 

 deep pink flowers of good size, and the plant 

 is a free, healthy grower. Enchantress is a 

 well-known variety, and still worth a place ; 

 the flowers are delicate flesh pink, and are 

 produced freely. Enchantress Supreme has 

 blooms of a rather deeper shade. In May 

 Day we have one of the most useful Carna- 

 tions ; it is free flowering, and its dainty 

 soft pink blossoms are well formed. R. F. 

 Felton has blossoms of clear rose-pink 

 shade ; they are full and large, but this 

 variety is sometimes subject to rust if not 

 carefully grown. Mrs. C. W. Ward is well 

 worth growing ; it is a healthy variety, and 

 produces rose-cerise blossoms in profusion. 

 Salmon Enchantress is a valuable addition ; 

 the flowers are a rich shade of pink and very 

 effective. Mary Allwood has beautifully 

 formed blossoms with smooth-edged petals, 

 of distinct cardinal-pink colour. 



