10 
THE GENUS DIANTHUS. 
carnations. Just as I had condemned the plants to the “tomb 
of all the Capulets,” my old adviser made me a visit. “Ah,” 
said he, “you have hurried these poor things to death.” My 
measures were then detailed and freely criticised. The next 
season saw me again at work among the carnations, for forcing; 
but I began sooner and in quite another manner. This time they 
were gone over before the blooming season, and all such as 
seemed suitable were removed to the shade of a north wall and the 
bloom-stems picked out. This induced a vigorous development 
of side branches, at least three weeks earlier than usual; conse¬ 
quently, by the middle of September, I had extraordinarily strong 
plants, and following the directions of my cultural mentor, they 
were brought from their shaded retreat and placed in the sun, 
and that too on short allowance of water, that they might, as he 
quaintly observed, “ have a holiday.” 
When the autumnal damps and cold nights began to occur, 
the plants were taken to a frame devoted to them alone, and 
being allowed plenty of air in the daytime, were carefully covered 
over at night, adding, as the cold increased, mats over the glass, 
and admitting a gradually decreasing amount of air, till in Janu¬ 
ary they were continually shut up, and at the end of the month, 
being determined to “hurry” them no more, I took them to the 
greenhouse instead of forcing them out of hand at once. On a 
warm shelf they stood for four whole weeks, without betraying 
the slightest inclination to “move,” not the least change taking 
place, except what occurred by the decaying and removal of the 
lower leaves, and I had just come to the conclusion that I cer¬ 
tainly was not “ forcing carnations,” when, having arrived at 
near the middle of February, a few sunny days occurred, some 
pale green leaves insensibly crept up the hearts of the plants, 
and in a fortnight they were in active growth ; the flower-stems 
were soon after visible, and just at this time my old friend called 
again. “Now give it ’em,” he exclaimed; adding somewhat 
parenthetically, “cautiously, though :” he had evidently learned 
the ardour of his pupil. Accordingly to the forcing-house they 
were taken, one or two at a time, at intervals of a few days, and 
being stationed at the coolest part of the place, they were libe¬ 
rally supplied with manure water, and again they grew most 
rapidly, but this time in the right part; the “ due maturity” of 
