Upon the Cultivation of the Carnation. 



163 



in dry warm weather, the lights may be taken entirely off, taking 

 care to close them before the dew falls in the evening, and at all 

 times observing to keep the plants from excess of wet, which pro- 

 duces many infant diseases, mildew, canker, &c. which never leave 

 the plant, and frequently destroy it. This treatment may be fol- 

 lowed up until November, and frequently December, giving a little 

 water to those pots which may appear dry ; when severe weather 

 sets in, such as continued frost and snow, keep the lights completely 

 closed, in which state I have had them this season eight weeks, the 

 lights covered with snow ; when the weather changes and the days 

 lengthen, I have recourse to the same method of airing, &c. as be- 

 fore, until the latter end of March, when for a few days before final 

 removing, I give them full air night and day. 



I then have them potted, a single plant in a No. 30 sized pot, for 

 blooming, for which purpose I have a compost preparing through 

 the winter, composed of three-fifths decomposed leaf soil, one-fifth 

 coarse pit sand or grit, one-fifth road-scraping from a limestone made 

 road, or the subsoil or paring next the stone used for lime ; these 

 I cause to be frequently turned, exposed and mixed well together, 

 and as the quantity wanted for even a large stock of Carnations is 

 easily looked over and picked by hand, any thing that may have 

 collected in it during the preparing season, such as worms, wire- 

 worms, &c. is taken out. This done T have the pots prepared as 

 in storing, that is well-drained, which is very essential ; say one- 

 sixth part of the pot filled with well broken potsherds, then a little 

 of the coarsest soil upon them, when the plants may be turned out 

 of their store pots and placed, a single plant in each pot, the old 

 ball of earth being reduced a little, so that the roots of the plant 

 when finally placed may just be within the rim of the pot, not 

 deeper ; the pots are then to be filled with the compost prepared, 

 and plunged in the ground where intended to bloom, the rim being 

 just covered with soil. 



