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HE writer of the “Country Housewife’s 
Garden,” published over 300 years ago, 
writes thus of the Carnation :—“ July flowers, 
‘commonly called Gilly flowers, because they 
flower in July, I may call them the king of 
flowers (except the rose). The best sorts of 
‘them are called Queen July Flowers—some 
of them are as big as roses. 
much in ornament and comforting the spirits 
by the sense of smelling.” 
The estimate of this old writer is generally 
accepted at the present day. The rose is still 
the Queen of flowers, but next to it we must 
place the Carnation. We do not seem ‘to 
have gained much with regard to size of the 
flower, but to have gone back as, regards 
fragrance. | 2 
The Carnation has one advantage over the 
rose, in that it will flourish in positions where 
the rose would make a complete failure. In 
smoky districts that would be death to the 
rose the carnation would be in its element. 
Carnations are usually divided into four 
classes, as follows, Selfs, Bizarres, Flakes, and 
Picotees. Selfs are of one colour only, with- 
out marks or shadings ; Bizarres are those in 
which the white ground colour is striped with 
two colours, one being darker than 
‘tthe other; Flakes are those in which 
‘tthe ground colour of . the — petals 
is striped with only one colour, purple, scarlet, 
‘orrose. In the Picotee, the colour is dis- 
‘tributed in curves round the edge, forming 
‘by a combination of the petals a circle more 
or less perfect. If the colour be dense, it is 
styled heavy edge, and if a light edge medium, 
and if a very fine edge of colour it is termed 
wire-edged. Its ground colour should be 
white or yellow, pure and without blemish 
In some instances the more delicate-edged 
Picotees appear to be of less robust character 
than Carnations generally, and it is probable 
that a considerable amount of breeding in 
and in to secure the fine beaded edge may 
have induced constitutional weakness. It may 
be fittingly described as the feminine of the 
more muscular Carnation. ‘The Picotees are 
divided into three sections, red edged, purple 
- edged, and rose edged. Although the Pico- 
tees are often classed separate from Car- 
nations they both require the same treatment, 
and both may ‘be raised from one pod 
of seed. 
CULTIVATION. 
- The Carnation is one of the easiest culti- 
vated of plants, and will lend itself to the 
‘various forms of garden ornamentation. It 
-can be grown in the mixed borders, on single 
‘lines, or, better still, in beds by themselves. 
“The first consideration is the preparation of 
-the beds, which for several reasons should be 
“undertaken some time beforehand in order 
‘that the ground may have time to settle be- 
fore’ the plants are putin, as a firm root run 
is one of the first principles of successful 
Carnation culture. Time and a good soaking 
‘rain will bring this about more effectually 
‘than treading. Stiff or clay soils do not re- 
-quire. compressing as lighter formations, but 
-in loose soil plants will not thrive to any ex- 
Their use is ~ 
- winds should be chosen if possible. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER, 
SEPTEMBER I, 1902 
Carnation Crowing in ‘Jasmania. 
BOSBO 
tent or for any length of time. Planting may 
commence in autumn, through the winter 
and early spring, but the best time is early 
autumn, and on no account should the plant 
be pot bound, but just started to grow in the 
pot, and transferred to its blooming quarters. 
Carnations are never satisfactory if once pot 
bound. A piece of ground in an open and 
sunny position, yet sheltered from strong 
The 
ground should be deeply.dug—a good double 
digging—that is two spits deep, if the ground 
is old garden soil, and a thick coat 
of well-rotted cow manure, well mixed 
with the soil. Do not fall into the 
error of making the ground too rich with 
manure. This would have a worse result 
than the other- extreme of poverty. Extra 
nourishment can always be supplied later 
with the best results by means of artificial 
manure, or mulching and liquid manure in 
dry times. 
Yellow Ground Perpetual. 
Ne = 
Heavy soils will be greatly benefited by the’ 
addition of sand or grit, sea sand is excellent, , 
as it contains a small percentage of salt. 
Burnt soil is also good Carnations make 
quick and strong growth in charred earth. If 
the soil be a very light one it will be specially 
benefited by a dressing of burned garden 
refuse. Carnations are also very fond of lime 
or old mortar, but it must not be overdone. 
Bonedust and superphosphate are the best . 
fertilizers, dusted over the ground at the rate. 
of 3 pounds per square rod. Soot is cheap « 
and.an excellent fertilizer. i 
The beds should be 4 feet wide, raised fully 
6 inches higher than the path ; these beds . 
will hold three rows of plants 15 inches apart. 
One of the secrets of successful culture is 
firm planting, spreading the roots out neatly 
(that is if the plants are not in pots). Press” 
the soil firmly down well around the plants. 
The roots should be well covered with soil, 
but at the same time do not bury the plants 
in a hole, rather let their foliage stand clear 
of the surrounding soil. If in damp ground 
let each plant stand: on a slight mound 
and receive a good watering to settle 
the soil around it. If from pots, plant the 
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same depth as ‘the pot they were in. If in 
heavy soil some light material may with ad- 
vantage be placed around before the heavy 
soil is filled in. | 
The after cultivation consists principally in 
keeping the ground free from weeds, giving 
water in dry times (though none will be re- 
quired during winter), supporting the flower 
stems as they rise, thinning the buds more or 
less, and destroying earwigs and other pests. 
Top dressing is a valuable aid to the culti- 
vator, especially where the soil is shallow, 
sandy, or impoverished, or when the plants 
make poor growth. ‘The best time to apply 
it is when the shoots start to rise in spring 
and before the buds show. A good top 
dressing consists of leaf mould, old hot bed 
manure, some sifted mortar rubbish, with a 
good sprinkling of soot and bonedust, mixed 
well together and spread over the bed to a 
depth of 2 inches, working it around and _be- 
tween the plants. Water this well in and 
the result will soon be apparent, for the roots 
will begin to work and soon improve the ap- 
pearance of the plants. As the flower stems 
rise in the spring they should be supported, 
as in the early stages of growth they are very 
brittle and easily broken by wind. Laths 
used by plasterers are cheap and suitable. 
One-year-old plants are best supported by 
each shoot being tied out to a lath ; older 
plants would need four laths placed in a 
square with reaper twine wound in the shape 
of hoops. This I find gives the plant a good 
support and a graceful appearanee. Nothing 
looks worse than slovenly tied-up Carnation 
plants. As the buds show form, if good 
flowers are required, they must be thinned. 
For ordinary purposes little or no thinning 
is required, but for show purposes not more 
than two buds should be left on a strong 
shoot, or one on a weak one. After the 
plant has done blooming the flower stems 
should be cut right down to their base. 
ARBOUR DAY. 
“Arbour day will make the country visibly 
more beautiful year by year. Every school 
district will contribute to the good work. The 
schoolhouse will gradually become an orna- 
ment of the village and tlie children will be 
“put in the way of living upon more friendly 
and intelligent terms with the bountiful 
nature which is so friendly to us,’—The 
results from the institution of Arbour Day 
ig being universally acknowledged. Go- 
vernor Roosevelt in his recent proclamation 
says: The school children of this state 
have planted more than two hundred 
thousand trees within the ten years in which 
Arbour Day has been recognized. Few 
‘similar efforts in recent years have been 
more thoroughly commendable than the 
effort to get our people practically to show 
their appreciation of the beauty and use- 
fulness of the trees. The steady tendency to- 
wards the disproportionate growths of cities 
renders it all the more necessary to foster the 
things of the country. —‘Parkand Cemetery.’ 
