DIANTHUS 



GABNAtlOIst OBDEB 



DIANTHUS 243 



a joint which is fairly -well ripened, but 

 not woody. They should then be firmly 

 inserted in a fine sandy conlpost, well 

 watered, and placed in a close and shaded 

 frame, for 8 Or 4 weeks, after which they 

 may receive plenty of air, and will be 

 ready for transplanting at the season 

 recommended. 



In the case of layers and cuttings, the 

 tops of the outer leaves are often snipped 

 off with the knife. It is then easy to 

 see when new leaves are forming, as of 

 course their tips wiU not be mutilated. 

 The thin lines across the leaves in the 

 sketch show how the tips are cut off. 



Tfwmwng the buds. — With the ex- 

 ception of those who make a business 

 of exhibiting Carnations for prizes, the 

 practice of removing some of the flower 

 buds is seldom or never pfactised. By 

 reducing the number of flowers to each 

 stem, and even by cutting out a whole 

 flower stem now and again, the flowers 

 left win certainly be much finer and fuller 

 when developed. 



When Carnations are continuously 

 grown on the same soil, or on cold heavy 

 land, or too closely together, they become 

 more or less subject to various diseases. 

 And some varieties which thrive in the 

 south are miserable failures in the north, 

 and vice versa. 



The Carnation Eust (Uromyces 

 Ca/ryophilmus) appears on the stem or 

 leaf as a pale raised pustule, over which 

 the epidermis soon breaks, hanging round 

 the edges in a ragged state, revealing the 

 brown powdery reproductive spores of the 

 fungus. These may be blown or washed 

 from plant to plant, spreading the disease 

 rapidly, when in a proper state for 

 germinating. It may be checked by 

 finely spraying with sulphide of potas- 

 sium, dissolving one ounce to 10 gallons 

 of water. 



Leaf spot is a troublesome disease 

 often caused by a damp atmosphere or 

 over-crowding. It appears on the leaves 

 and stems as a more or less circular 

 purplish spot with a whitish centre, the 

 latter being often dotted with black by 

 the fruiting portions of the fungus. The 

 fungus enters the tissues of the plant 

 rather deeply, and the spores which are 

 produced in great abundance are rapidly 

 distributed by wind and water. It does 

 not, however, attack all varieties with 



equal virulence. The plants may be 

 dusted with a mixture of soot and 

 sulphur, or sprayed with sulphide of 

 potassium as recommended for rust. 

 Oout is a disease which attacks the stems 

 close to the ground, and is supposed to be 

 caused by ' eel- worms ' which enter the 

 plant to lay their eggs, out of which 

 come othef worms to feed upon the plant 

 and kill it. Plants grown in too rich a 

 soil, and making sappy growth, are more 

 subject to attacks than others. 



The maggot is a pest which often 

 attacks Carnations. The eggs are laid in 

 the tissues of the leaf, and the young 

 insects eat their way down the rnain 

 stem to the centre and kill the plant. 

 The plants should be carefully watched, 

 and the eggs destroyed between finger and 

 thumb wherever discovered. 



Spittle-fly is easily seen. It appears 

 when the plants are in bud, and should 

 be squeezed to death between the finger 

 and thumb. 



D. chinensis {D. sinensis). — Chinese or 

 Indian Pink, — A Chinese bieimial 6-12 in. 

 high, with pale green lance-shaped leaves. 

 Flowers in summer, usually reddish, but 

 very variable in colour, either single or 

 double, with toothed petals. Among the 

 many forms of D. chinensis, the following 

 may be noted as distinct : — albus, flowers 

 double, white ; cat-news, flowers double, 

 flesh-coloured; fulgens, flowers double, 

 brilliant scarlet crimson; nanus albus, 

 n. atro-sanguimeus, and n.florepleno, all 

 dwarf forms ; laciniatus is a fine Japanese 

 form with very blue-green foliage and 

 flowers about 2 in. across, remarkable for 

 having the petals deeply incised or jagged 

 almost half the length of the blade. The 

 variety Oardneri is a native of China, it 

 has very large flowers with finely cut 

 petals. The variety -4 i&msomi is a beau- 

 tiful old-fashioned hybrid Pink, with deep 

 blood-red flowers. It does not ripen seed, 

 and is rather difficult to increase by 

 division or cuttings. D. Heddeweggi is 

 a beautiful annual or biennial with 

 variously coloured flowers — single and 

 double. Very useful for borders in 

 summer. The forms of Heddeweggi 

 known as atropurpureua and diadematus 

 flore plena are very distinct and worth a 

 place in the flower border. 



Culture and Propagation. — D. chi/n- 

 ensis and its varieties may be treated as 

 tender annuals or biennials. As annuals 

 the seeds may be sown about March in 



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