JULY.] FLOWERS. 509 



slugs above ground ; and in the soil, the wire- 

 worm, which sadly annoy the roots. I have given 

 ample directions for the destruction of all but the 

 last named, in the Fruit Garden for April and 

 July. I do not know a remedy for the wire- 

 worm, except by carefully searching for it in the 

 earth ; which is hardly practicable for plants grown 

 in the open air, to any considerable extent. If that 

 in the pots be infested with them, it should be chan- 

 ged entirely, as soon as may be convenient, and soil 

 from a place distant, and quite distinct, should be 

 used instead of it. 



My father cultivated carnations most eagerly, to a 

 very great extent, and with as much success as most 

 people. About the year 1785, he had a most admi- 

 rable collection ; and excelled all his neighbours in 

 the real clove-gilliflower. A year or two afterwards 

 he unfortunately changed the situation of his valu- 

 able collection, from the borders in front of an ex- 

 tensive range of hot-houses, to several large mounds 

 of soil, brought from a certain field, to be used in 

 composition for melons, peaches, grapes, &c. This 

 earth was laid up in the back-garden to meliorate ; 

 of which there was a supply for many years. He 

 had taken some of it for his potted carnations, and 

 found they did remarkably well in it ; and so was 

 induced to shift the whole stock, as above stated. 

 He had not discovered that this soil swarmed with 

 the wire-worm. They increased to such a degree, 

 that in two years he lost three-fourths of his stock ; 

 shifted the remainder back to their original situa- 

 tion ; but unfortunately some of the soil had also 



