On the Cultivation of the Carnation. 
201 
About the latter end of March, or the beginning of April, the last 
year's layers may be planted off into large pots, to bloom ; the pots used, 
should be what are called 6's, — or such as are about 12 inches wide at 
the top, 6 inches at the bottom, and 10 inches deep inside ; — in each 
pot, three plants must be mserted, not deeper than they stood before 
potting; and protect them from easterly winds, or the leaves will soon 
appear bleached and sickly. 
When the plants begin to shoot up for flowering, support them with 
sticks, about three or four feet long; and in the month of June, let them 
all have a top-dressing of leaf-mould and sheep-dung, which will give 
them a very healthy appearance, enable them to grow stronger than they 
otherwise would, and give a much greater richness and brilliancy of co- 
lour to the flowers. Care must always be taken, to give a sufficient 
quantity of water, for if they are allowed to droop, it will greatly injure 
the bloom. 
In the beginning of August, they will be in full flower ; when they 
begin to expand, a collar must be placed round the bottom of the flower 
to support it. "These collars are made of white card paper, in the form 
of a circle, of three or four inches diameter, with a hole 
in the centre, just large enough to admit the calyx or 
pod, without much compressing it, and with a cut ex- 
tending from the centre to the outside or circumference, 
hke the radius of a circle, [fig. 23] On these the petals 
are finely disposed, and the beauty of the Carnation 
displayed to great advantage." 
At this time, they will require great attention, for 
as they expand, they must be shaded both from the 
sun and rain, by means of strong paper caps or covers, 
[fig. 24] about twelve inches diameter, painted white, 
or green, and formed like an umbrella, to throw oft' 
the rain ; each should have a square tin tube at the top 
that would allow the stick, to which the stem is tied, to 
pass through it as far as is necessary. This tube 
should be about two inches long, and have a small 
hole bored through one of its sides, [fig. 2-5] that 
it may be fixed, by a nail, to any part of the stick 
required. — When, however, agreat many advance 
into bloom, it would be bettor to cover them with 
an awning, as I recommended for the tulip. 
There are also many insects that are very troublesome to this plant, a=i 
the aphis, or green Jlj/, earwiij, wireworm, grub, snail, and slug; and 
a very small black insect, is often very destructive, eating the colour oft" 
the petals ; but the earwig is the most dangerous, as it commonly secretes 
itself in the calyx, and bites oft' the petals at the lower ends, or claws, and 
Vol. 1, No. 5. CC 
