BORDER CARNATIONS. 
49 
I need not refer to disbudding as practised by those who exhibit the 
blooms, but for a garden display a certain amount of thinning is 
certainly beneficial. Buds almost always form immediately at the 
base of each main bud, and these should certainly be removed. As 
regards buds arising from the leaf axils on the stem, four to eight of 
these may be retained according to the strength of the plant, the small 
buds below them in each case being nipped out when quite young. 
Seedling plants, if well grown, may throw fifty to one hundred 
flowering stems, and if each of these is allowed to retain four good 
buds a fine show of blossom will result. 
Should the weather be hot and dry, syringing during the evening 
or on dull days will encourage lusty growth, and at the same time check 
the ravages of thrips and green-fly. No artificial manuring should be 
needed if the preparation of the beds was thorough, but, on light soil 
especially, a mulch of rotted manure will be advantageous if applied a 
week or two before the beginning of the blooming season. 
Until quite lately one was always recommended to attach calyx 
bands to the buds to prevent bursting, but that is a laborious practice, 
and there are now so many fine varieties whose calyces show no 
tendency to burst that this tiresome duty may be said to have been 
removed from the calendar of operations. 
When seedling plants are in bloom, they should be gone over care- 
fully to note any that are worth layering, whilst " singles/' " bursters," 
and worthless sorts generally can be immediately rogued. Before 
the middle of July many of the plants will be ready for layering, and 
this operation can be continued also throughout the following month, 
although it must be borne in mind that early layers make the best and 
strongest plants. The process of layering is quite simple, and is really 
merely a form of pegging down. To hasten rooting, a slit is cut from 
the underside of the shoot, through a joint, and then pegged firmly 
into the soil, where it will start rooting in a week or ten days if kept 
just moist. In six weeks the layer will be strongly enough established 
to be severed from the parent plant, though, as there is no hurry to 
replant till September, a week or two longer may be given with advan- 
tage, especially if the weather has been hot and dry. Bearing in mind 
that a certain percentage of loss must be expected during the winter 
from wireworm, cats, and other causes, it is wise to put down more 
layers than are actually required. After filling the new beds, all surplus 
layers can be potted up, and kept in a frame or cold greenhouse during 
the winter to take the place of a possible casualty. In February or 
March they will come in very well for filling gaps in the beds where 
mortality has occurred from any cause. 
Before concluding, I should like to say a word on the use of artificial 
or chemical manures and patent so-called plant foods. We have made 
many exhaustive experiments with every known kind, long since 
coming to the conclusion that the finest and most valuable manure 
or stimulant for Carnations of all types is sheep or cow manure, and 
soot used either dry on the beds or as a liquid. As a matter of fact* 
vol. xliii. s 
