May 8, l£9o. ] 
JOURN-AL OF HORTICULTURE AXD 'COTTAGE GARDEXER. 
885 
nurserymen, and which I consider would be preferable, as they would 
allow the buds to swell, and not want easing from time to time as 
matting would as the buds increase in size. If the calyx is inclined to 
burst on one side, slit the opposite side in two or three places, to make 
the blooms symmetrical. In crowded buds it would be best to ease it in 
time by just slitting the calyx in the sever.al scallops marked at the top, 
so that the guard leaves will f.all regu'arly all round. 
Protection from Rain .—As soon as the Carnation begins to unfold 
tts blooms it should be protected from the rain and scorching sun. This 
must be done if the blooms are to be brought out to perfection. On no 
account should any water be allowed to touch them. The greenhouse 
or conservatory would be the most suitable place for that purpose. The 
front stage of the former would perhaps be the better of the two, as 
generally at this season of the year some of the customary plants are 
set outside in the open air ; and besides, sometimes the conservatory is 
b.adly situated for the well-being of the plants. But should it contain a 
front stage, where they can get plenty of light and air, they could be 
placed there by themselves, or mixed with other plants to suit the 
appearance of the place. In either case they will require shading 
during the hottest part of the day, say from about nine or ten o’clock 
in the morning, according to the weather, removing the blinds in 
the afternoon according to the position the plants occupy, giving 
as much air and exposure as is practicable without injury to the blooms, 
keeping a sharp look out for grubs and earwigs. If it is not convenient 
to house all the plants some lights might be temporarily placed over 
those outside to keep the rain off, and shaded as previously advised ; by 
so doing they will keep much longer in bloom than otherwise. 
Stahinj the Plants .—In doing this a neat straight stick should be 
used to each stem, looping each bloom separately, having each stick the 
same height as the stem. If small hazel sticks are available so much 
the better, as they are less conspicuous than white sticks, or even if they 
are painted green ; the latter could be used if hazel cannot be procured. 
Liquid Manure .—This might be used oceasionally to an advantage, 
which will materially assist them to bring out their blooms true to 
their character. This should consist of sheep manure put into a bag 
and allowed to soak in a tub, dipping it out and diluting it according to 
its strength. It must never be used very strong, and only when the 
pots are well filled with roots, and must be withheld when the blooms are 
nearly expanded. Soot water might also be used accordingly. When 
the plants have finished blooming they should again be brought into 
the open air for layering, except those that have seed pods and are 
intended to be saved ; these should be given a light airy place exposed 
to the sun to ripen the seed. An early vinery that is usually thrown open 
at this season and the Vines partially pruned would answer admirably. 
Cultivation in Beds and Borders. 
This popular method of cultivation is resorted to in some degree by 
almost everyone that owns a garden; and doubtless some varieties do 
better in the open air. Of course, they are not so much under command 
as when grown in pots, but in ordinary seasons an excellent display can 
be made when grown in well prepared beds and borders, and on the 
trouble bestowed on them in making depends to a great extent the 
amount of success that will follow, also upon the value set on the plants. 
The general idea of making a Carnation bed, and which is mostly given 
when advice is sought from growers, is, should the soil be heavy, give it 
a good dressing of road scrapings, dusting it well with soot and lime, 
turning it up rough for the winter prior to planting in the spring. If 
the soil is of a light character be more sparing with the road scrapings, 
but a good mulching of horse droppings might be added. This advice is 
very good for ordinary culture, especially if the soil is of a fairly rich 
lojimy nature. But if the soil does not answer to the descriptions given 
above, and choice sorts are intended to be grown, the better plan would 
be to make a fresh bed or border altogether, which would be more likely 
to insure success if good blooms are desired. If this has been decided 
upon the first step will be to take out about 1 foot in depth of the old 
soil and fork up roughly another foot, provided there is that depth from 
the subsoil; over this spread about 1 inches of horse droppings ; 
an old hotbed would answer for this purpose if composed chiefly of 
the above material. Then fill up with the soil previously advised for 
potting ; only it may be used in a little rougher state, finishing off 
with some of the finer, and raising it about G inches above the perma¬ 
nent ground. 
Borders should be brought sloping gently to the front, but beds 
are raised in the middle and the top rounded, bringing down each side in 
the same m.anner, just enough to give the water a gentle fall. The 
plants should be when planted out singly 10 inches to 1 foot apart, but 
if in pairs they should be 15 inches from plant to plant to allow room 
for layering. I mention pairs, as some growers adopt that method from 
an economic point of view, .and planting as such would prevent the 
plants being split apart. About the end of March or the first week in 
April is usually the best time to perform the above operation. In re¬ 
gard to protecting the blooms from rain I shall say very little, as that 
will depend entirely on the value set on them, as appearance generally 
predominates in bedding. If desired they can be protected in the same 
manner as advised for pot plants outside, or by bowing sticks over them 
and stretching canvas over would answer the above purpose. The same 
precaution must be taken as to the slitting the calyx, as they are more 
liable to burst irregularly than when grown otherwise; if neglected 
the calyx will split on one side following on down to the base of the 
pod and so disfigure the blooms. I hardly need say that the plants 
will require frequent watering during hot dry weather, also staking, 
weeding, and stirring the surface of the soil occasionally to prevent its 
becoming hard, thus not allowing the water to penetrate it, besides 
giving a neat appearance. 
The Description of a Good Carnation. 
The value of a good Carnation is estimated by the perfeet construc¬ 
tion of its petals, and distinctness as to the various shades and tints. 
In a perfect bloom every petal should have its own distinct colours 
peculiar to its class, and the more bright and distinct the nearer 
approach they are to perfection. When the bloom is fully developed 
the base of the cup or calyx should remain intact, without bursting in 
any form whatever. The external or guard petals should be large, 
evenly set, not overcrowded, and without blemish of any kind. Neither 
should the bloom be overcharged with the inner petsils, nor too thin, but 
sufficient to give it gradual ascent, forming, as it were, a crown in the 
centre, each petal being even and rising one over another in regular 
order, and tapering to the centre. Each bloom should be perfectly 
round, the petals having a wax-like appearance, and being of a stout 
texture. The fragrance of a bloom will also add to its value. In some 
Carnations this quality is more perceptible than in others, but all 
possess it to some degree. It seems to be most prev.alent among scarlet 
bizarres, where the Clove stripe recurs frequently in the petals, also 
among tree or perpetual varieties. 
Run Flowers .—These are flowers running from their naturally dis¬ 
posed colour which characterise their different classes, and flowers 
having a tendency to that freak lose all advantages as regards exhibi¬ 
tion purposes, and occasion great disappointment to the grower, as when 
a bloom once sports it rarely ever returns to its true character again* 
Anyone who has grown a collection of Carnations and studied their 
character would have noticed the above peculiarities about them. But 
why they are possessed with such there is a gre.at difference of opinion, 
and I must admit that I am not prepared to explain. There are 
some sorts more subject to run than others ; in some it is very slight, 
but generally it is very decided; e.g., a scarlet flake will sometimes 
change into a plain scarlet, or a bizarre into a self-coloured flower. Some 
have an idea that it is brought about by overfeeding, and I am inclined 
to think it is to some degree, but sometimes it occurs in flowers when 
grown in poorer soil, and do what you may, in so many shades there 
will be always a certain amount of running. Some scientists try to 
explain the cause by the plants going through a process of unmixing 
of colours. Be that as it may, I believe it can be prevented to some 
extent by a little more attention given to the soil used for those particular 
sorts th.at are apt to sport. Instead of using the amount of horse 
droppings previously advised, take about half, and add the same 
quantity of lime rubble, run through a sieve, and well mix with the 
other ingredients. 
(To he continued.) 
TOMATO CULTURE—PRETENTION OF DISEASE. 
I AJI a great lover of Tomatoes, and a firm believer in the old 
adage, “ Prevention is better than cure ” respecting Tomato disease. 
But as to the Tomato fungus—a relative of that affecting Potatoes, for 
neither do I think there is any specific cure—prevention must be looked 
to. The syringing with sulphates, even if not inimical to the foliage, 
cannot be expected to enter into and eliminate the fungus from the 
tissues. Everyone knows when the well-known spots come on Potato 
haulm the fungus has got through and through the stem so affected. 
External applications are so much time and money wasted. ’Tis so 
with Tomatoes. Last year at the back of my greenhouse I planted two 
plants of Carter’s Perfection and Blenheim Orange at the moist corner, 
so to speak, and two more of the same varieties in the drier and warmer 
south-east corner. To make matters worse for the western end where 
the Tomatoes were planted some drip came from an interstice in the 
overhead ventilator. Very soon a mildew-like fungus appeared, probably 
