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On tfie Cultivation of the Carnation. 
eye by their beauty, or regale the sense of smelling, by their fragrance; 
the Carnation, may be justly said to hold the first rank.” It appears to 
have been totally unknown to the arlcients, in its cultivated state, although 
it has, from time immemorial, been a favorite flower in Europe; Gerard, 
in 1597, received it from Poland. It has been occasionally found, in a 
wild state, in England, growing on rocks and walls;—the general re¬ 
ceived opinion however, is, that it a native of Germany and Italy, where 
it is much cultivated. In the beginning of the 17th century, there seems 
to have been about 50 good sorts known; and the most popular cultivator 
at that time, was a florist of the name of Tuggre, living in Westminster. 
Early in the 18th century, as many as 350 or 360 valuable sorts, were 
cultivated, which appears to be almost equal to the Catalogues of the 
Florists of the present day;—Hogg, in his “Treatise,” published in 
1820, enumerates the same quantity of sorts, then in his possession. 
I shall now proceed to state the kinds of soil that have been recom¬ 
mended.— 
Mr. I. Maddock, of Walworth, in his “florist’s Directory,” published 
in 1792, recommends, “One-third fresh sound loamy soil; one-half 
rotten dung, (one-year-old) or that which has been used for a hot-bed; 
and one-sixth of coarse sea or river sand:—these ingredients to be well 
mixed in autumn, laid in a heap about two feet thick, in an open expo¬ 
sure, and turned three or four times during the winter.” 
Hogg, in his “Treatise,” says, “ The time that I generally set about 
mixing the compost, is towards the end of summer, when the melons 
and cucumbers have done bearing, whose beds furnish me with the dung 
proper for my purpose. Requiring a large quantity of mould, (for I 
, mostly bloom about 500 pots of Carnations) I take in the following 
ratios;—one load of fresh yellow loam; half a load of common black 
earth, or garden-mould ; two loads of rotten horse-dung; with four large 
barrows of coarse sand, from some wash or pond by the high-road side, 
or dry road-grit, in lieu thereof, laid up to dry, and run through a sieve. 
—rotten dung, from mushroom-beds, ought not to be used in this com¬ 
post, on account of the fungous fibres. Let them be mixed, and thrown 
together in a heap or ridge, and turned two or three times in the winter, 
particularly in frosty weather, that it may be well incorporated. On a 
dry day, towards the end of November, I take a barrowfull of fresh lime, 
which, as soon as it is slacked, I strew over, while hot, in turning the 
heap, this accelerates the rotting of the fibrous particles of the loam, 
lightens the soil, and destroys the grubs, worms, and slugs.” 
The following is the compost, I have used with success, and what I 
would recommend to all such as have only small collections .— 
Four barrowfulls of fresh yellow loam, 
Six ditto of horse-dung, from an old creumher frame, 
One ditto of river sand. 
Let them be well mixed, and turned two or three times in winter, as 
recommended above. 
