owen eemmemmowercy ee 
Carnation Bracket in — 
Position. 
(Ce AND ORNAMEN- 
TAL PRINTING of every descrip- 
tion in first-class style, on the shortest 
notice, and at cheapest rates, by the 
“ Australian Gardener’ Printing and 
Publishing Coy., Scrymgour’s Buildings 
20 Waymouth Street, Adelaide. 
# CELE AUSTRALIAN’ GARDENER. 
April, 1910 
HINTS ON THE CULTIVA- 
TION OF CARNATIONS. _ 
Carnation’ growing of late has made 
rapid improvements 
- The old varieties are very rire in an 
up to date growers’ yarden. 
The 
popular for their continual blooming. 
Spring 
perpetual varieties are most 
varieties produce beautiful 
flowers for the Spring Shows, but after 
that season very small resultsare obtained 
thus making the 
sought for. 
Perpetual varieties 
Carnations may be grown successfully 
almost any soil, providing it is 
prepared with a knowledge of 
requirements. 
in 
their 
Carnations require to be grown from 
the shade of trees and high fences, to 
keep them healthy and free from disease, 
A convenient size bed for the Carna- 
tions to grow in is abont four feet wide 
and as long as the garden will allow. 
This enables the grower to get about 
the plants to tie them up or do anything 
in connection with their requirements. 
The best soil for the carnation to grow 
in is a suff loam with enough grit in it to 
make it friable. 7 
When digging up the bed avoid 
bringing up subsoils, and raise the bed a 
few inches above the path to avoid an 
excess of moisture. Although Carnations 
love water they canuot thrive with 
swamping. 
Should the soil be light add anything 
in the way of decayed cow manure or 
garden refuse well decomposed, heavy 
loam, or clay. 
If on the contrary the soil is stiff, give 
a good coat of lime, wood ashes, or sand, 
and dig well in. Make a rule to have 
the beds made a week or two before 
planting. 
— Manure. — 
The most practical way to use manure — 
is to judge yourself the condition of the 
soil, and work into the bed bone dust or 
bone manure not too fine ground up to 
half pound per square yard. 
Avoid at all times strong chemical 
manures unless you plant the Carnations 
as annuals, 
Best liquid manure is made from ‘cow 
manure, tape 
The steady growing of the Carnation 
is most preverable. When the plants 
show a blne-yreen sheen on the foliage — 
they are doing well. 
é — Pests. — sete 
Although the Carnation is a’ hardy 
growing plant, it is not without its: 
pests. : 
Thrip in the springtime is most 
It wi'l spoil the best’ of: 
flowers if steps are not taken in’ time to 
check them. 
Gishurst used per 
directions on the box once or twice 2: 
week, is one of the best remedies. The 
best time to-use this préparation is inthe 
troublesome. 
Compound, as 
evening, and when the plants are showing 
the buds. This remedy is also a great 
check on the small black ant. 
— Preparing for Exhibition. — 
In preparing the buds for exhibition it 
is well to thin them out, leaving from 
four to ten buds, according to the strength 
of the plants, leaving crown: buds to 
flower. These should be set up into 
brackets (as illustrated) -before the buds 
commence to open, using air-tight flower 
pots to cover them. This mode of 
covering protects the flower from the 
weather and-pests, and allows tlie flower 
to develop to its full size. It is most 
interesting to look at the flowers in their 
different stages. . ; 
Should the black ants find their wa 
into the brackets after the flower, tease 
out a small piece of cotton wool and cover 
the flower up. This prevents the ants 
from getting into the flower to carry on 
its destruction. 
The Carnation bracket is my own 
manufacture. 
— Rust. — 
This is a round swelling of the leaves, 
which afterwards bursts and sets free 
more spores of the fungus. The most 
effective way to deal with it is to cut the 
affected leaves off and burn them. Give 
frequent dustings of fresh lime. The 
same applies to Spot, which is noticed as 
purple ‘spots, chiefly caused through 
dampness in the cold wet months. 
