CHAPTER XII 
CULTIVATION OF PERPETUAL-FLOWERING 
VARIETIES 
POTTING is an operation requiring much skill and experi- 
ence, for the operator must thoroughly understand the plant 
to be potted, and know the nature of the soil best suited 
to its requirements. As soon as the Carnation cutting is 
well rooted, it should receive its first potting into clean pots, 
2% inches in diameter. A suitable compost is one consist- 
ing of two parts best loam, one part leaf-mould, and equal 
portions of coarse sand and fine old mortar rubble. The 
loam and leaf-mould should be passed through a 4-inch 
sieve. To every barrow-load of this compost, add a 5-inch 
potful of soot, a 7-inch potful of bone-meal, and a 3-inch 
potful of Veltha Powder. At each potting, but this one 
more particularly, make sure that the temperature of the com- 
post is not materially lower than the atmosphere of the house 
in which the plants have been growing, or it may cause a 
chill to the young roots. There are various ways of warm- 
ing the soil. The simplest way is to spread it out thinly 
on the previous night on mats on the floor of the propa- 
gating or other hot-house, or, if the loam and leaf-mould 
are sterilised by roasting on a sheet of iron over a wood 
fire, the compost may be used before it loses its warmth. 
This sterilisation is necessary to kill the larvae of wire- 
worm and other insect pests. If it is possible to pot on the 
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