8 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER 
Aucust’ 1, i903. 
quently top-dressed, a mixture of natural 
manure, wood ashes and chemical manure 
being used. 
One of the most important operations is 
the dis-budding, as each flower-stem can only 
develop one good bloom; all the other buds 
must be removed early. It is work which, 
of course, takes much time, but it pays to do 
it. It does not require any special know- 
ledge or judgment, asit is always the top bud 
which is the best ; in large nurseries girls are 
employed for this work. 
Anyone who has worked among Carna- 
tions will have noticed the bursting of the 
calyx which so often occurs and makes the 
flowers unsaleable. Some varieties are more 
liable to this bursting than others. When 
selecting seedings one may at once throw out 
all those which show short thick buds, as 
these always burst and are absolutely value- 
less, no matter how fine the colour may be 
But it is not in all cases the structure of the 
bud which controls the calyx-bursting, and in 
the good established varieties the percentage 
of bursting calyces varies greatly from day to 
day. It is evident that exterior conditions, 
chiefly temperature and light, have great in- 
fluence in this respect. I believe that sudden 
change of temperature is one of the main 
causes, as also is lack of light. On dark 
days, and when the houses have been covered 
with snow for a day or two, almost all the 
calyces burst. Iixcéss of moisture in the air 
may also play a part. 
In American nurseries the Carnation is 
often used to replace the Chrysanthemum 
when these have done flowering, the latter 
often being grown on similar: stages to those 
used for Carnations. At this time of the 
year it is, of course, a question of great 
economic importance to have a continuous 
crop of flowers fromthe houses. Tor this 
purpose the Carnations. are, in the  be- 
ginning of October, planted in boxes with 
removable sides, and 
depth which allow of their being fitted 
into the benches. These boxes may be 
kept in cold frames. When the Chrysan- 
themums have done their duty they are 
cleared out and all the soil temoved from 
the stages, and the Carnations are then 
easily fitted into their place, and in a short 
time give a fine crop. 
The gathering of the flowers is always 
done some twenty-four hours before they 
-are sent tothe city. The transport is gener- 
ally by railway, as the nurseries are mostly 
situated far away from their market. 
The number of varieties is very large, 
and is every year being increased through 
the introduction of, many more or less 
valuable kinds. Few of them stay in 
cultivation for any length of time, as they 
soon begin to deteriorate, or when attacked 
by diseases prove absolutely unable to re- 
sist. The deterioration is shown in the 
- decreasing size of the flowers, the bursting 
of the calyces, and the decrease in general 
vitality. A good. deal has been written in 
the professional press about the possible 
, causes of the deterioration, but I have never 
seen anything like a satisfactory explanation. 
Most experts seem to believe that over-pro- 
pagation is the main cause. The Carnation 
is very sensible to changes of environment, 
climate, and soil. Because a variety does: 
well in one locality, it does not follow that 
of a length and ~ 
with similar treatment it will prove satis- 
factory in another. 
The Carnation, asare all other cultivated 
plants, is subject to a great many animal 
pests and fungoid diseases. Mice, slugs, 
red spider, and green fly need no mention- 
ing. Of fungoid diseases, black spot, rust, 
and dry stem rot are most destructive. 
When taken in ‘time black spot and rust can 
easily be cured by the application of 
Bordeaux mixture. 
By far the most destructive disease in the 
dry stem rot, which every year causes 
thousands and thousands of dollars’ loss to 
the nurserymen. Most frequently it appears 
in the houses shortly after the planting in 
autumn. 
The first visible sign of the disease is a 
fine reddish stripe running along one side 
of the stem and extending to one or several 
Again, plants placed a little too deep in the 
soil are often attacked before the surrounding 
plants, and such individuals regularly suc- 
cumb to stem rot even where it does not 
appear on those properly planted in the same 
bed. Superfluous moisture also seems to play 
an important part. I do not say that this 
simple system results in the very highest 
development of plant and of flower in them- 
selves. 
Whencultivating plantsin pots onehas with- 
out doubt far better control of the wants of 
each individual. Even with as many asa 
thousand plants in a house one can, toa 
certain extent, give each a special treatment 
according to its individual requirements. 
On the other hand, when one has them all 
in the same soil they must need all be 
treated in the same way; the  require- 
ments of cach individual cannot be 
Carnations and Picotees. 
branches. This: .marking, the cause of 
which must evidently be sought in the 
tissue next to the epidermis, becomes more 
and more prominent, and the leaves com- 
mence to die off till the plant becomes en- 
tirely dry and withered, the stem ultimately 
breaking off at the root-stock. On examin- 
ation the tissue here are found to be quite 
destroyed, and only a mass of dry fibres 
remains; the roots, however, seem un- 
affected. 
The plants may be attacked. by this 
disease both when planted in the houses and 
when in the field. A few individuals scat- 
tered in the beds may become affacted and 
die slowly, or large lots may die off with 
astonishing rapidity. The disease seems to 
get better hold when the beds have been 
lately treated with organic manute ; virgin soil 
fertilised with chemical manure seems safe. 
considered. For raising specimen plants 
or fancy flowers there is no doubt that pots 
are indispensible, but .there was never a 
large and permanent market for such stock, 
and it is difficult to make it pay. 
As a paying industry I believe the Ameri- 
can style of. producing cut flowers from 
plants planted out in the houses and flowered 
at a low temperature, giving a continuous 
supply all through the winter, is a decidedly 
good one. I may add that the same system 
is practised in the case of Roses, Chrysan: 
themums, Mignonette, Violets, and, in fact, 
all florist’s flowers except bulbs, and “the 
flowers sold in New York are in no way in- — 
ferior to those sold here. Most likely the | 
American style will in time be practised also. 
in Europe; in fact, in Southern Germany — 
many large Carnation nurseries are already 
arriéd on on American principles. 7 
