(. ' A R X ATION C 0 N PE 1! E N C 1 . 



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planted out to go through the winter in the open ground. Then it 

 may equally happen that he will find some friend who will recount 

 his sad experience of having so treated his plants, and lost them 

 nearly all. These apparent contradictions are not difficult to 

 reconcile. The Carnation is indeed a thoroughly hardy plant 

 in an adult stage, but it is necessary to bear in mind that the 

 layers which we take off in October are scarcely yet developed, 

 as they have not sufficient root-power to healthily dispose 

 of ail the moisture which our autumns and winters bring, 

 with them ; and when that is the case the plants get into a con- 

 gested state and die off, net from cold as a primary cause, but 

 from disease. Very well rooted layers may go through wet 

 autumns and winters safely, and when these seasons are compara- 

 tively dry they are pretty sure to do so even on heavy soil. 



I am informed that most of the Newcastle growers plant their 

 collections out in beds in the autumn, as do also some of the 

 Lancashire people ; but this is not a wise course to pursue in 

 localities where the soil is wet and badly drained. On the other 

 hand, if the layers be left in the ground undet ached from the 

 parent plant, they will usually go through the winter with 

 impunity. 



If w T e desire to put the hardiness of the Carnation to the 

 test, we should take, not the newly struck layer, but the seedling, 

 which raised in the spring is by the autumn a fairly developed 

 plant. Seedling plants, even of the choicest exhibition varieties, 

 are always wintered in the open ground. 



Dealing, then, with our autumn-struck plants, the safe general 

 course to pursue is to pot them, and winter them in a cold frame. 

 The soil suitable at this stage is light loam, with about a fifth 

 part of good, sweet leaf-mould and a little coarse sharp silver- 

 sand. The leaf-mould is not a necessity, and, unless it can be 

 got sweet and pure as it comes from a wood, it may be better 

 dispensed with. The plants should be potted singly in 2^- or 

 3-inch pots, according to their size, or two small ones may be 

 potted together. They should be stood upon ashes in a frame, 

 and the lights should be closed down upon them for five or six 

 days, while fresh roots are being formed. The plants may then 

 receive a watering, and air may be given gradually till they are 

 seen to be establishing themselves, and in about three w T eeks' 

 time the lights may be removed altogether if the weather be fine. 



