Carnations.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 1, Issue 21, 13 December 1912, Page 3

Carnations.

[Continued] By taking the s-.r unlary tf#ds tho flowering perio I can be retar led for a pari. ad. Shading will also retard the flowers, and for exhibition par.') os will be found an adva-ut igo, as the flower opens more slowly, develops more evenly, while the centre petals make a ful’er flower. Shading will als > in soni3 cases prevent the calyx from bursting.*, a very bad defect for exhibit! >o, but a defee t. w h ich w itsi t h 3 pres ont day rage for largo ’ mis, seems x oe increasing. The calyx is tinf green tubn : p ••■•■ion of the bldom from which tfle petals protrude when t. 1 o dower reopening or is open. In exhibition blooms this ought to b? perfectly whole. Small indiarubber bands are sometimes placed around t > prevent the cup from “bursting”, but the bands must he removed before showing. The flower stem should be kept tied up to stakes, as they.. will “knee”; that is, they will grow in an angular form, and. when an attempt is made to iiflEmost ca-es brea' . (ho lalrr ( what it means t . n enthusiastic exhibit >r t > ha ve a >me very special bloom, which he has carefully tended for months, break off a few days before the final victory. tying th ' plants to rare intis* h > taken not the tie '>ght; or the not * ' move up j e. -nation ; .r ''a wire, about six inches loi. ■—three twists to l special form, ana stem will pass up t ii and will not need tying. Keep the plant - free from dead and dying foliage. Slum Rust show itself, spray with a fringeiide >ach a Anunoniated carbonate of copper or Borden ux mixture, but only use the summer formulae* Rust can ; soon be noticed in the presence j of light coloured spots on the : foliage. These spv, eventually j turn brown, while the ends of thf* leaves shrivel up and become quite dead. In fact, it is a good plan to spray once or twice a year as a prevent.»’ ve, ’‘prevention being better than cure”! anyday. Wire worm- ar ■ troublesome at times. These b v down the j stern, and the firs' notice one gels is 1 ; : yellow and rotting at the o .Mar. Litjie will help to keep t . -m in check as also will stiri.ig t’.c soil. Il l they are very b id, place some j pieces of carrot j below the j soil round tin carnations; [ examine these pioc - every day, j and destroy any wir - worms that ; may bo found. Layering is a m important | •operation for tarnation | enthusiast to b .10 conver- | sant with. Lave :-g should he ! commenced about - begi nninar I of January V s * the 'vp thr. ing all roi getting all before proc not have tl - • Then with a ver / sharp knife cut half through th stem in a sloping direction i - • below a j joint. Cut upward so as to | leave a tongue a l) >u- an inch to an inch and a bah* long, beifd the shoot upward-, and press the -ngti** int < the s > : i (which should he loosened), and peg the shoot down so as to prevent the shoot pulling up. Keep the top of the shoot upright and ba sure that the slit is open. Place some loose soil well up and round the layered shoots, so that they are well ki the ground. Then give a good watering with a fine-rose watering can. The layers should be rooted in about a month when ’ -'v should be entirely severed olant. "•o divided, by different colours in „ or flakes going u*c - of the petals. There <.«. scarlet, purple flakes according to the colour of the flaking. Bizarre- are flowers having a clear ground variouslymarked with two or three distinct colours. These are crimson, pink, purple, and scarlet. Picotees have a ground colour of white or yellow, each petal being edged with a second colour which is denoted by the following sect ; on, purple edge, red edge, and rose edge, each of .. which is denoted by the depth * ' of the edge. Fancies are those which have two or more colours in the flowers, hut which do not fall into any of these divisions ; for iu-tance, those with* a yellow or white ground, * mottled or flaked with various colours. Selfs as their name denotes, are of one colour only. Tree are a class of carnations which have been developed from a French strain, greatly imnroved >.> American florists. There ait. nosv some beautiful varieties amongst them. They arc tail, —ing almost troe like, and I.V used as t, they are ill'- I whole year. ... y lend them, solve.- to forcing or greenhouse

culture better than border v iriaiie.'. auLliauce their value An- market. i^urposes. Malmaisons are a very strong growing variety, having immense fl6fea&rs when well grown, blooms often measuring six inches across. They are nrwo tender than the border carnations and seldom do well outside, being more <r a green, house variety than otherwise. The clove scent is very strong in them. Improve men's in colour have been made of late years, but they have never had tiie popularity of the border varieties.