Winter Culture

In November, the varieties in pots should be moved to a sunny, sheltered situation for the winter; and if placed in a frame, etc, to have occasional protection from hard frost, it will be of much advantage. The pots may be placed close together, or if the bed is raised three, four, or six inches, with a light dry earth, sand, or ashes, and so plunge the pots in it to their rims, it will be a greater protection for their roots, covering them occasionally with the glasses in hard frosts, &c; but for want of frames, a bed prepared as above may be arched over with hoops, to be covered occasionally with mats.

Under either of those shelters the plants are to be covered with glasses or mats only in time of severe frost, but must enjoy the full air in all open weather, by having all covering en-9 tirely off, for if much covered it would draw them up weak and tender.

Be careful also that the drainage in the pots is very good.

Thus continue your care of the potted plants till spring, and then shift them into large pots, to remain to blow, as directed in their spring culture.

In respect to those in the open beds, although they commonly stand the winter tolerably, yet, if you have any spare frames, or the beds arched over, to be covered with mats or long dry litter in severe frosts, it will be of much advantage.

Spring Culture, Shifting, Etc

In the latter end of February, or some time in March, the layers in the small pots, or such as are in beds, and that you intend shall blow in pots, should be transplanted with balls into the large pots, where they are to remain.

The pots proper for their reception for flowering, should be nine or ten inches at least in the clear at top, but if a foot the better, that there may be due room to lay the layers, at the proper season, for a further increase, which is an essential point to be considered.

The pots being ready, put some pieces of tile or oyster shells over the holes at the bottom; add plenty of drainage, and till them halfway with earth, then turn the plants out of the pots, etc, with the ball of earth about their roots; and after taking away a little of the earth around the sides of the ball, place one plant in each of the large pots, filling up the vacancy around the ball with fresh compost, bringing it also close up about the body of the plant, which should stand nearly as high as the rim of the pot; and finish each pot with a moderate watering.

Being thus potted, place them in a sheltered sunny situation in the full air, and in dry weather supply them with water twice a week, and here let them remain till they are considerably advanced towards flowering, then the fine sorts may be placed on the Carnation stage.

Summer Culture

During dry warm weather continue the care of watering those in pots every day or two. Likewise clear out all weeds, and at times lightly stir the surface. In May and June the flower-stems of the plants will advance, when sticks should be placed for their support, which should be two feet and a half or a yard long, either round or square, but perfectly straight, and tapering from the bottom: sharpening the lower end thrust one down by every plant, to which tie the flower-stems in a neat manner, which repeat as they advance in height.

In June, or beginning of July, the plants will be considerably advanced towards flowering, when those intended for the stage should be placed there, to prevent the depredation of slugs; the posts or supporters of the stage should be surrounded at the bottom by small cups of water; and by placing the plants on a stage, having the platform eighteen inches or two feet high, the flowers are viewed to more advantage; and if there is erected an awning over the top, supported four feet above the platform, the flowers being screened from the heat of the mid-day sun, and defended from heavy rains, are continued much longer in beautv.

Some Carnation stages are constructed upon very elegant plans, both to render them useful and ornamental.

But as to the general construction of a common Carnation stage, it is formed entirely of slight timber work, thus - a boarded platform is erected eighteen inches or two feet in height, formed by two ranges of planks, to contain two rows of pots lengthways, supported on posts, ranged either in one row along under the middle of the platform, or in two ranges, one on each side; and over is erected a roof of open work, five or sis feet high, to be covered with painted canvas, supported either by a range of neat posts on each side, or by one row ranging along the middle, between the planks of the platform, which is the most eligible; the roof may be formed either archways or like the ridge of a house, having the arches or spars about a foot asunder, and stiffened by thin slips ofdeal, carried across them the whole length of the stage; and the roof thus formed may be covered with coarse canvas painted white.

All the wood work of the stage should be painted white, both to preserve it from the weather, and give it a more lively appearance. In constructing Carnation stages, some contrive sticks for the support of the flower-stalks, fixed to the work of the stage, by means of small neat rails, carried along lengthways of the stage, just over the place where each row of pots stand, and from which rails up-' right sticks half an inch thick are carried to another such rail above, placing them at such distances that there be two to each pot, and so train the flower-stems up to the outside of the sticks.

With respect to the cups of water above mentioned, they are earthen or leaden, about fifteen inches wide, and three or four deep, having a hollow or vacancy in the middle sis inches wide, like a socket to receive the posts; and is formed by a raised rim in the middle, equal in height to that of the circumference, and the hollow or socket so formed as to receive the bottom of the posts quite through to the ground; and the space between the outer and inner rim is filled with water, so that each post standing in the middle of such a cistern, sufficiently guards the plants against creeping insects, for they will not attempt to cross the water.

For want of a covered stage to screen the flowers, you may contrive a kind of small umbrellas or round spreading caps, either of tin or canvas, nine or ten inches diameter, one for each plant; having a socket in the middle to receive the tops of the support-sticks; those umbrellas which are formed of tin are the best, but if you make them of canvas, first make little round frames, having the rim formed with slips of lead, wire, cane, etc, the above width, with cross slips of the same materials; contriving a socket of lead or tin in the middle for the support-stick to go quite through, as just observed; and upon these frames paste or sow canvas, which paint with oil-colour, that they may stand the weather; either of which covers are placed over the flowers by running the support-stick up through the hole or socket in the middle, and resting the cap upon a piece of wire put across the stick at such a height from the flower as to screen it effectually from the sun and rains.

Give attention to continue to tie up neatly the flower-stalks of the plants as they advance in stature. When they are arrived at their full height, support them erect at top with wires, having a small eye or ring at one end, for the reception of the flower-stalk; so put the other end into holes made in the support-sticks. These wires should be five or six inches long, and several hole? are made in the upper part of the sticks; the first at the height of the bottom of the flower pod, the other above that, an inch or two distant; and place the wires in the holes lower or higher, that the eye or ring may be just even with the case of the calyx, to support the flower in an upright position; and by drawing the wire less or more out, the flower is preserved at any distance from the support as shall seem necessary to give it proper room to expand; and if two or three of the like wires are placed also in the lower parts of the support-sticks, placing the stem of the flowers also in the eye of the wires, all the tyings of bass, etc, may be cut away.

To have as large flowers as possible, clear off" all side shoots from the flower-stem, suffering only the main or top buds to remain to flower.

When the flowers begin to open, attendance should be given to assist the fine varieties to promote their regular expansion,particularly the large burster kinds, they being apt to burst open on one side; and, unless assisted by a little art, the petals will break out of compass, and the flower become very irregular; therefore, attending everyday at that period, observe, as soon as the calyx begins to break, to cut it a little open at two other places in the indent-ings at top, with narrow-pointed scissors, that the openings be at equal distances, and hereby the more regular expansion of the petals will be promoted; observing if one side of any flower comes out faster than another, to turn the pot about, that the other side of the flower be next the sun, which will also greatly assist the more regular expansion of the flower.

Likewise, when intended to blow any particularly fine flowers as large and spreading as possible, florists place spreading paper collars round the bottom of the flower, on which to spread the petals to their utmost expansion; these collars are made of stiff white paper, cut circular, about three or four inches diameter, having a hole in the middle to receive the bottom of the petals, withinside of the calyx, the leaves of which are made to spread flat for its support; and then spread or draw out the petals upon the collar to their full width and extent, the longest undermost, and the next longest upon these, and so of the rest quite to the middle, observing that the collar must nowhere appear wider than the flower when it begins to burst.

Continue the care of watering the pots, which in dry hot weather will be necessary every day, being essential to promote the size of the flowers, and increase the strength of the shoots of the plants at bottom for layers.

And as in June and July these layers will have arrived at proper growth for layering, they should also be layered to continue your increase of the approved varieties, and so continue layering the shoots of each year's growth at the above season, managing them always as before directed.

As to the border carnations, i. e., such as you intend shall flower in borders or beds, in the open ground, any of the varieties may be employed; and their propagation both by seed and layers is the same as already directed. The season for transplanting them into the places of their final destination for flowering, is October or beginning of November, for the autumn planting; and for that of the spring, any time in March or first fortnight in April; removing them with little balls about their roots, planting them about two feet from the edge of the border; and as to culture, it is principally tying up the flower-stalks as they advance in stature, and to make layers of all the approved sorts annually, in June or July. - Aber-crombie.

Carnation Pots

The pots commonly made and used for the purpose of blooming carnations in, are called wide-mouthed twelves. Two plants are put in each pot, and they are made wide at the top for the convenience of layering the plants in.

Disease

The "black spot" on the leaves of carnations, is an infection propagating itself in the same manner as rust in corn, or mildew of plants, each spot being composed of innumerable small fungi.