January 8, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
25 
prefer the plant of a fine Carnation to a gold watch set with 
diamonds ; ” and upon the same grounds many enthusiasts enjoy 
the same high opinion. 
Few positions are absolutely adverse to the well-being of 
Carnations, and even their number might be lessened by a 
certain amount of preparation, the result of which would be far 
more than commensurate with the troub'e and cost involved. 
The most objectionable conditions are shade, defective drainage, 
and excessively retentive soil. Those possessing only such 
accommodation should consider the best means to modify it so 
as to ensure reasonable success, or not attempt their permanent 
culture; but secure a batch of fresh plants yearly, which if 
planted in April would most likely yield some good flowers. 
With ordinary well-drained soil the present necessary prepara¬ 
tion is manuring and deep digging, laying the surface spit as 
roughly as possible. Previous to digging give a thorough 
dressing with soot, and when finished a second may be applied, 
the idea being to wage war with wireworms and other grub 
pests, at the same time some nourishment will be added. The 
quantity of manure need not be very great, neither should it be 
buried too deeply. Place it about half a spit deep, where it will 
be easily reached by the roots. Rather than apply manure too 
heavily reserve some decayed material for mulching the surface 
after planting in spring, which will serve the double purpose of 
materially assisting both plants and layers. 
Generally, it will be better to defer planting until the middle 
or end of March in favoured or sheltered localities; in more 
exposed ones or on account of severe weather it will be advisable 
to allow them to remain until April. Some recommend autumn 
planting, and with certain varieties, such as the Clove and 
vigorous border sorts, it answers admirably, but this only in 
some places ; in others their appearance is anything but happy 
when the winter is past. I have several varieties outside, but 
took the precaution in autumn of securing duplicate plants in a 
cold frame, where all the stock plants are now protected from 
any bad weather. They will be kept as cool as possible, abun¬ 
dantly ventilated, and only sufficient water will be given to keep 
the soil moist, while none will be allowed upon the grass. After 
planting they should be staked as evenly as possible to prevent 
the effects of the wind. During dry weather abundant supplies 
of water may be given, which with the mulching previously 
referred to will induce vigorous and clean growth and good 
blossoms, which, if required for exhibiting, must be thinned out 
and the pods seen to, in order to ensure even well-shaped flowers. 
As a rule, for such purposes it will be more expeditious to grow 
plants in pots, when they can be removed under glass before the 
buds expand, when flowers of a much finer quality will be 
produced. 
"Varieties. —My advice is, Procure the free-flowering hardy 
Clove and fancy varieties, of which there are now so many 
charming varieties. These are for open ground culture; but it 
is far from my intention to lightly regard the claims of the host 
of bizarres and flakes, many of which, however, are too high bred 
to acquit themselves satisfactorily under ordinary treatment 
outside. Many are vigorous, such as Dan Godfrey in the scarlet 
flakes and Lord Milton in the bizarres. Such as these should be 
groAvn in company with the self and fancy varieties; the majority 
are clove-scented and will form a most beautiful display. No 
garden can boast of too many of the rich crimson, scarlet, ruby, 
salmon, pink, and white seifs, to say nothing of the many other 
beautiful varieties which are now accessible to most garden lovers. 
There is no reason to disturb several of the seifs for years if the 
beds are once thoroughly established. 1 know some beds of the 
old crimson Clove and a white one which have not been removed 
for years; the plants are annually top-dressed with well-decayed 
manure, and sometimes layered, and what a wealth of bloom is 
yearly enjoyed. Some of us remember the grand bed of the old 
Clove which was a feature at Fulham in Osborn’s time, a wonder 
in every way. The yellow ground varieties are very lovely, and 
as much appreciated, but unfortunately many of them are rather 
delicate, the winter being their most trying time, and most likely 
the greatest enemy is damp; but they are so charming that the 
care bestowed upon them meets with its own reward. They 
should be stored in a cold frame and be kept moderately dry 
through the winter. Happily we are now securing some varieties 
with a more robust constitution. Messrs. Veitch are sending 
out some new ones this season, I think, of which they give a good 
account in this direction. King of the Yellows is a good one of 
the older varieties which I shall never like to lose. Mr. Charles 
Turner’s Lady Rosebery is very pretty, but as yet very scarce. 
This grower has, perhaps, done more than any other to encourage 
this section, including the yellow ground Picotees, many of the 
best having been sent out from the Slough Nurseries. It appears 
these were always more delicate than their congeners, for Hogg, 
writing of them in 1832, says, “ It is at all times a difficult flower 
to grow well in this country, on account of our moist atmosphere 
and long winters.” The same writer says, “ The late Queen 
Charlotte and the Princesses a few years ago had a very superb 
collection of yellow Picotees at Frogmore, which were obtained 
principally from Germany; they were the delight of all who saw 
them,” and in Hogg’s time they were said to be very plentiful 
in most of the gardens in Madeira in great and beautiful 
variety. Are they abundantly represented in the same island 
now F —T. 
WHITE PLUME CELERY. 
This is a new Celery of American origin, which is likely to become a 
favourite in our gardens. I had a packet of seed last spring from the 
raiser, Mr. Peter Henderson. At first when the plants were small they 
were quite green like any ordinary Celery, but when about a foot in height 
they began to become white in the middle, and by the autumn every plant 
had become what its name implies a “ white plume.” 
It is rather curious to see every part of a Celery plant perfectly white, 
but this Celery has more to recommend it than being merely a curiosity. 
This is the least valuable part of it, its most useful points being easiness 
of culture and high quality. Everybody who grows Celery knows the 
labour attached to making trenches in the first place and subsequent 
earthings-up, which not only become expensive, but often destructive, as 
it is through being earthed up and the soil in many instances slipping into 
the centres of the plants that so much decayed Celery is produced in 
winter. Worms, too, are more destructive when the soil has been put up 
than it was possible for them to be before, and when no earthing up is 
required firm spotless Celery is the rule. 
The White Plume requires no earthing up, as it blanches naturally 
without any assistance, and trenches are superfluous. Our plants were 
put out on the level as we might do Cauliflowers or Cabbages, and about the 
same distance apart, and they succeeded admirably. They attained a 
height of 18 or 20 inches, were very bushy, and had capital centres. It is 
very satisfactory when we can place out Celery plants in Jane or July, 
and have them all ready for use from November until spring without the 
slightest attention except keeping them free from weeds with the Dutch 
hoe. This Celery is certainly the most distinct of all, and, as I have 
shown, it merits culture for many good reasons. I see it figured in 
Carter’s “Vade Mecum,” and as it is offered by many of our English 
seedsmen in their seed lists of this year I have no doubt it will be. gene¬ 
rally tried, and I am sure it will give cultivators satisfaction.— 
J. Muir, Mar gam Park, South Walts. 
MANETTI AND MILDEW. 
Canon Reynolds Hole in liis delightful “ Book about 
Roses,” just republished, quotes the oracular statement, made 
in 1868 by a well-known rosarian, that, “ For general use the 
Briar is doomed; it is time to think seriously of discarding it.” 
Substituting “ Manetti ” for “ Briar,” the oracle might stand 
for 1885. Not that Manetti will be discarded any more than was 
its rival stock in 1868, for this reservation can be urged in 
Manetti’s favour, that it has “ the horrid merit of convenience.” 
It is very little trouble with a secateur to cut Manetti sticks into 
lengths, which, when inserted in the ground, are sure to root, 
making stocks that grow vigorously on transplanting, and on 
being budded, rapidly become large plants, whereas Briar cuttings, 
which refuse in some places to strike at all readily, must be made 
with knife, removing lower buds, and leaving if possible a heel; 
and the difficulty of keeping seedling Briars even moderately free 
from mildew during the long time which must elapse before they 
are ready to be budded is extreme. But the ultimate superiority 
of either form of the latter stock is again maintained by the 
following experience. In the autumn of 1881 there were planted 
on a piece of fair yellow loam, well trenched and previously 
manured, 400 Hybrid Perpetual Roses on Manetti, 170 Roses on 
seedling Briar, (seventy Teas), and thirty Briar cuttings (H.P.’s 
and Teas), and in case the land should prove too heavy for the 
Manetti, fifty H.P.’s on Manetti were planted on much lighter 
soil, with forty seedling Briars and sixty Briar cuttings (H.P.’s 
and Teas). 
Daring the following autumn all of them made strong 
growth, and in 1883 gave fine flowers. In the autumn of 1883, 
however, about one-third of the plants on Manetti made only a 
very moderate growth, the remainder, and those on Briar, being 
as strong as before. In the spring of 1884 many of the weak- 
growing plants on Manetti died, but some seemed to recover and 
grew stronger again during the summer. During the past 
autumn many more Manettis made no growth, and the col¬ 
lection was thoroughly overhauled, with the following results. 
Of the plants on seedling Briar only two Teas were dead, while 
only three H.P.’s (Emilie Hausburg, Xavier Olibo, and Earl of 
Beaconsfield, not vigorous growers at any time) were so weak as 
to be thrown away, and on Briar cutting two Teas only were 
dead. But of those on the Manetti 200 have made room for their 
