THE EFFECTS OF THE SEASON. 
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nations and Picotees, are all suffering severely; my bed of the 
first is a complete failure,, — the greater portion of the plants 
are dead,—and those which still exist are too weak to produce 
even an average flower. 
The grass of the Pinks is small, though not so bad as might 
have been expected; this I attribute to the mulching, which, 
by preventing the evaporation of moisture from the bed, has 
contributed greatly to the benefit of the plants ; but strange to 
state, not a single flower on a bed containing nearly two 
hundred plants, has produced a particle of “ lacing,” so that 
the entire bloom is utterly useless for showing; from my whole 
stock I cannot cut six blooms in a perfect state. Carnations 
and Picotees are failing rapidly before this arid atmosphere, 
and the ravages of the green fly. Roses, too, are literally 
covered with them ; as an antidote to these pests I have used 
a variety of “ infallible receipts,” but find nothing better than 
tobacco, either in solution or powder : the tobacco water I prefer 
where it can be used, and in cases where it is not suitable I 
apply snuff. Camphoretted spirits, diluted with water, I have 
found efficacious, but the expense of the article will prevent its 
general adoption. Ammonia has scarcely any effect upon them, 
as they will live in a closely stopped vial containing hartshorn. 
Knowing the effect of oil on some individuals of the beetle 
tribe I was induced to try it on these destructive insects, but 
to my cost I found that in proving fatal to the green flies, it 
exercised a similar agency on the leaves and young wood of 
the roses. 
But to mention at once the cause of my now troubling you, 
— the failure of my Ranunculuses I imagine to be owing chiefly 
to the fall of rain we experienced towards the close of last 
season, which probably occasioned a re-action of the roots 
before they could be got out of the ground; and to prevent a 
recurrence of the weakening effects of this second growth, 
I feel inclined to take up the roots, on the first approach of wet 
weather, hoping thus to save such as are still in existence. 
On this point I shall be thankful for a little advice, — as also 
some information as to the cause or causes of the entire absence 
of colouring round the margins of the petals of the pinks. 
I am aware that spring planting frequently produces a similar 
result; but in this case the planting was done in October, after 
the most approved mode ; —- perhaps some of your correspond- 
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