ON THE CULTURE OF THE CARNATION. 
255 
our perceptions, while viewing pictures, has not been erroneously attri¬ 
buted to the noiseless dispositions on the canvas. Be this as it may, 
I am quite certain that I felt the same kind of sensation while viewing 
the scenery here a little after sun-set, when all was calm and serene 
save the distant bleating of lambs or the tinkling sheep-bell. 
Your’s ever faithfully, 
A. B. 
30 thMay, 1835 . 
FLORICULTURE. 
ON THE CULTURE OF THE CARNATION. 
BY G. J. DALE, WIKSWORTH, DERBYSHIRE. 
A more fragrant and beautiful flower does not exist than the carna¬ 
tion. I am decidedly of opinion that this plant is a native of England, 
though the old original flower, the clove, seems almost, if not altogether, 
extinct. The late Sir Joseph Banks offered a premium of 10/. to any 
one who would produce it. A number of our new sorts have been 
brought from Germany and Holland, where they are cultivated to 
great perfection; also from Italy, where they are a favourite flower in 
all gardens. We have now upwards of 600 good sorts, for many 
of which we are indebted to florists of our own country. 
The compost I should recommend for growing the carnation would 
be the following: in the summer collect a quantity of fine turf-soil 
from the hedge sides ; or, what is still better, if you can procure it, the 
soil from rocks which has been a series of years depositing; of this soil I 
should recommend one half, one fourth river sand, or the light sandy 
soil you may procure from under the roots of trees by brook sides, and 
one fourth horse-dung, let this be laid together and frequently turned 
during the year. When you make your bed up in the spring, after 
having marked out the size, take out the soil to the depth of twelve 
inches, put in four inches of good dung, then proceed to riddle in your 
compost, mixing with it a portion of leaf soil. Let your plants be set 
twelve inches apart. 
I have a decided objection to planting carnations in pots unless these 
be very large; as to growing them good, bold flowers, which ought to 
be the object, they require more nourishment than many are aware of. 
In dry weather give them water every other day. In August the 
plants will be in full flower, when they must be shaded from the heat 
of the sun and from rain, as one drop of rain will often spoil the 
most beautiful flower. 
