52 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 23, 1893. 
FliOPJlCUliTUt^E. 
Carnation Culture for Amateurs. 
Mektiox has occasionally been made of the good 
form shown by a group of young amateur Carnation 
growers at Southampton, who have made their mark 
at Oxford, London, and elsewhere. Chief among 
them is Mr. F. Nutt, Rose Road, The Avenue, 
Southampton, who has occasionally taken premier 
awards at Oxford and other important exhibitions. 
Like most amateurs, Mr. Nutt disposes of his surplus 
stock, and finding many of his correspondents 
desirous of having a few cultural directions from one 
who has proved himself a successful grower, and 
being unable to \^rite to each one, Mr. Nutt has 
published a circuit in which he has set forth his 
cultural process under the heading, “ How I Came 
to Grow Carnations.” It may be said there are 
standard works on Carnation culture, which is quite 
true—Mr. Dodwell’s book and the "Carnation 
Manual ” in particular—but these works are thought 
by not a few lovers of the Carnation to be too 
elaborate, if not too expensive, and what they seem 
to require is a short, pithily expressed article setting 
forth in plain and simple terms how to grow this 
popular flower, and this IMr. Nutt has supplied as 
follows:— 
How I Came to Grow Carnations. 
" Because they are adapted for cultivation either 
in town or country gardens. Living in a town, as I 
do, where the air is ncrt so pure as in the country, 
being more or less impregnated with impurities from 
factories, etc., I find the Carnation and Picotee 
thrive while other flowers fail; of course, we all 
know that a clouded and impure atmosphere dims 
the freshness of the petals of most flowers, but 
Carnations don’t mind the smoke. The under¬ 
mentioned cultural notes have been adopted by 
myself for nearly twelve years, and I have found it 
succeed beyond my expectations, and the fact of my 
having gained twenty-three honours at two of the 
leading exhibitions in 1S92, viz., the National 
Carnation Society and the Oxford Union, speaks for 
itself. 
"Although my collection is chiefly pot grown, I 
would remark that the Carnation and Picotee are 
not necessarily pot plants, as most of the varieties I 
grow will be found robust enough for the open 
garden. When rooted layers are sent out the first 
week in October, they may be either planted out in 
the open border, in well-prepared soil, the same 
compost as recommended for pot culture, or the 
layers may be potted up in 60-sized pots, placing 
two plants in a pot, unless a very strong plant, then 
one would be suSBcient. At this time of the year 
we do not wish to excite growth in them unduly, and 
as we only, then, want to keep our young plants in 
health, we should give no manure when making up 
our autumn potting compost, which should consist 
of—plain loam four parts, leaf soil one part, road 
grit one part. I winter my plants in frames facing 
the north, with the pots stood on a bed of ashes 
4 in. or 5 in. deep, this keeps out the worms, and at 
the same time affords protection to the root fibres 
during the severe weather, and the plants will not 
suffer from a continued frost, as the roots will 
receive moisture from the ash bottom. The plants 
should be placed pretty near the glass, let them have 
all the benefit of the air you can, keeping the lights 
off in clear weather, and giving air behind in wet, by 
tilting the lights about 4 in. or 5 in. at the back, 
using blocks of w'ood for the purpose. Keep the 
plants moderately dry during the wdnter, and when 
they require water, give it them through the narrow 
pipe of a small water pot; be sure and not water in 
frosty weather ; more plants are lost from this than 
any other cause. You must watch your opportunity 
when a thaw takes place to do this, then none will 
be required during very frosty weather ; should the 
weather be mild with gentle rains from the south¬ 
west, the plants should be permitted to receive the 
benefit of it for an hour or so, this will greatly 
refresh them, taking care to have the leaves dried 
again as soon as you can in case of frost setting in. 
Occasionally stir the surface of the soil with a stick 
(pointed) to prevent any green and sour crustation 
in the soil; I generally cover the surface with a 
little sand and find it answ'er the purpose well. The 
decayed leaves should also be taken off from time to 
time. 
" In our variable climate the first week in March, 
I find, is the safest and best time to remove the 
plants into larger pots to bloom. The pots generally 
made use of for this purpose are 8 inch. (16 to the 
cast) in which three or four plants can be placed. 
In repotting, good drainage is an important matter— 
place several hollow pieces of broken pots at the 
bottom, and then a layer of smaller pieces to pre¬ 
serve a free outlet for the water ; stagnant water is 
prejudicial to all plants. 
" The potting compost should consist of fresh 
turfy loam, leaf soil, well decayed sheep manure 
passed through a sieve, road grit (sweepings from 
the road), and old mortar; to each four parts of 
loam mix one of leaf soil, one of road grit, and half 
part of sheep manure and old mortar. Your heap 
should be occasionally turned over, and every grub 
and wireworm should be carefully destroyed, in fact, 
the wireworm may be called the most deadly enemy 
of the Carnation, and no quarter must, therefore, be 
given to it. The wireworm v/i.l be chiefly found in 
loam. When I first grew Carnations I did not know 
this pest from the common garden worm, but find¬ 
ing my plants dying, I soon made myself acquainted 
with it, and now very seldom lose a plant through 
it, as I carefully make search for it before potting. 
" The pots should be filled three-parts full with 
the compost in its rough or coarse state from the 
heap, using fine or sifted compost only at the top 
and around the roots of the plants, which must not 
be planted deeper than they were before; I agree 
with very firm potting, using a stick to press the 
soil firm at the sides of the pots. I find it beneficial 
to use a handful of bone dust to each pot with the 
rough compost placed over the drainage ; the plants 
feed on this when the pots have become full of roots 
and require assistance at the flowering time. If the 
soil is in proper condition, viz , that it will adhere 
together when pressed in the hand, the plants will 
not require watering for seven or eight days after 
repotting, when it will be required to be done in the 
morning till about the end of April, on account of 
the frosts which will often occur at that time. 
"As frequent watering of the plants in dry 
weather must exhaust the nutritive powers of the com¬ 
post, I hold with top dressing, and have practised it 
for many years with excellent results. I use for 
this purpose a mixture of well-decayed sheep 
manure and soot with a little slaked lime passed 
through a sieve. The lime has been previously 
mixed with it to decompose the manure. I can then 
use it with safety after it has been laid by for six 
months. 
" The top dressing I usually do at the latter end 
of IMay and the beginning of June, wLich I find 
materially to assist the plants, and give the blooms 
a richness of colour that they would not otherwise 
attain. You need only try the experiment on a few 
plants and then compare them with others that you 
have not top dressed, to be convinced of its utility ; 
the itnproved health and vigour of the plants will be 
visible, the flowers will be larger, and the texture of 
the petals firmer and more lasting. I need scarcely 
add that the plants will require a plentiful supply of 
water as they come into flower, and rain water 
should be used if at hand.” 
-- 
OUR AGRICULTURAL CHANCES WITH 
AUSTRALIA. 
Mr. Harris, of Halwill Manor, has been entertain¬ 
ing the Exeter Chamber of Commerce with an 
account of his recent visit to Australia, making 
special reference to the advantages and disadvantages 
enjoyed by colonial as compared with British agri¬ 
culturists. Mr. Harris contended, from what he had 
seen, that the farming land in New Zealand was not 
as yet one half developed, whilst he returned from 
Australia with the conviction that there were at least 
50,000,000 acres thus far untouched by the plough, 
of as good wEeat-growing land as could be found in 
the world. Speaking of taxation, Mr. Harris showed 
that whilst in England the agriculturist was taxed 
to the extent of 12 per cent, the New Zealand 
farmer paid less than i per cent. He failed 
to see why the agriculturist, who cultivates 
say 300 acres of land, should pay ten times as much 
to the poor rate as the ironmonger or grocer, nor 
could he see why the system of taxation should as¬ 
sume such a form that the man who farms well pays 
more than the man who farms ill, although his land 
is of no better quality, nor could he further under¬ 
stand why the legislators who opened our ports to 
the intense competition at present prevailing, left on 
us burdens such as tithes, which they well knew our 
competitors did not bear, and which were only justi¬ 
fiable under a system of Protection. Such charges 
ought to have been honestly settled when the change 
xvas made. He protested against a system which 
must lead to the grassing down of the whole country 
and the consequent congestion of our towns with a 
population whose last resource will be pauperism. 
In course of the debate which followed, Mr. 
W. Lethbridge said he had come to the con 
elusion that England had nothing to fear, at any 
rate, so far as Wheat-growing was concerned, from 
America. Mr. F. Townsend advocated the removal 
of those burdens on land which, he believed, were 
some, of the causes of the present agricultural de¬ 
pression. Both market gardeners and agriculturists 
ought to have the opportunity of sending their pro¬ 
duce to different parts of the country at lower rates. 
MR. G. miles. 
In our last issue we gave some account of the 
gardening establishment at Wycombe Abbey, which 
to-day we have much pleasure in supplementing 
with a portrait of the very able gardener, Mr. 
George Thomas Miles, who during the long period 
of thirty-five years has been responsible for its 
management, besides for some years past discharging 
the onerous duties of resident agent of the estate. 
Mr. Miles was born at Clewer, near Windsor, in 
January, 1831, and after leaving school commenced 
his gardening career in the same parish, serving 
four years under Mr. Thomas Roake (gardener to 
the Hon. H. Ashley), then a noted florist and a 
prominent raiser of new Hollyhocks. From Clewer 
Mr. Miles went to Combermere Abbey, in Cheshire, 
where he stayed two years, and then joined the 
garden staff at Keele Hall, Staffordshire, serving a 
similar period in the outdoor department, and then 
some twelve months or more as foreman of the plant 
department. At that time the late Mr. William 
Hill was gardener at Keele, and the place had a 
deservedly high reputation throughout the country 
for good gardening in general and splendid Grape 
cultivation in particular. Leaving Keele Hall in 
February, 1858, iSIr. Miles became gardener to the 
late Lord Carrington, at Wycombe Abbey, and his 
instructions being to devote himself specially to the 
production of the best sorts of fruits and vegetables 
in quantity at all seasons, it fell to his lot to adapt 
the garden and glass houses to the necessities of the 
case. Alterations and improvements were steadily 
carried out during the first seven years, and how 
admirably the work was done under Mr. Miles’ 
direction was abundantly proved when, at the end 
of the period named, he became an exhibitor of fruits 
and vegetables at the leading horticultural exhibi¬ 
tions, and quickly won his way to the front rank. 
For some years subsequently Mr. Miles was regularly 
found among the leading competitors at the metro¬ 
politan and leading provincial shows, and to his 
honour, be it said, he was never a pot hunter. Keen 
to win first prizes for the glory of the thing as much 
as for the more substantial reward of his skill, Mr. 
Miles always showed his best, and be sure there was 
something good to be seen in front of him whenever 
his colours were lowered. One of the first to put 
high quality before mere size and bulk, Mr. Miles 
may be said to have taught hundreds of others what 
to show and how to show it. M'hat he did himself 
he encouraged others to do by his awards when 
called upon to act as a judge, as he has been 
regularly for many years and in various parts of the 
country, and thus by example and precept he has 
been a benefactor to his order by consistently 
upholding a high standard of merit. We have never 
asked our friend how many prizes he has won at 
horticultural competitions—and he himself has 
probably forgetten—but we have heard the remark 
made more than once that there is no man living 
who has won more with fruits and vegetables, and 
we believe the statement to be not far from the truth. 
If Mr. Miles may be said ever to have had one 
hobby more than another in gardening it has been 
Pine growing, and with the luscious Pineapple he 
has certainly had a w'onderful measure of success. 
He has proved conclusively that to be grown well 
Pines must be grown quickly, and in from ten to 
eighteen months he has regularly produced heavy 
and handsome specimens of all the best varieties. 
Besides being in the front rank of his profession, our 
friend has many good qualities of head and heart, 
and a quiet, genial, kindly manner that has gained 
for him the warm respect of troops of friends in the 
horticultural world. 
