The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-07-22 00:00:00

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111OR3ICULTURE.

;window gardeners wish to
strillrell2thigliliall=l7"ebi was to make good plants,
now lea bale when they may do it well. Carnations
and pinks imperially are plants which it is satisfactory
to grow indobt 'They are at all events kept gam-
rain pots,' and thus we do not feel that they are
s " border „dowers," and at the same time they are
so lallitrdy that we need have little fear of any indoor
soldier them. Young plants struck early in the year
will biomes in the winter; those that we new put in
TO det like/3 will by about Marsh or April, and I do not
think we can .at any much "wester dowers to have
than the out red cloves, the pure white carnation
'' Beide," and the very exquisite pale rose.
cored kind, the (*lour of which is exactly that of a
pink China rose, without any streaks or maikings.
Them *owes eertainly are amongst the easiest grown
when ens bee just the knack of them. Hind that a
great ninny Women have the impression that doing
anythiug lightly and gently is the most considerate
treatment, and just as the' would be careful in working
an 4 tosokieg flowers, avoiding display's of strength, so
tiny wit their pleats with the mone precaution. Car.
nations _ grow naturally upon rocks and walls. A
oretree full of soil is enough, indeed, fee their rooting
jont how has the notion risen that this soil is PSI
eb• t Minch more likely it is biked into almost IS
brink. The roots ex themselves in %and go on anchor-
ing there ; It Is not very 'teey. to shake a wild pink
loose; a bit Of the warts not easel—to-come with it.
But still I have seen warnatioss, and have had them,
toq, hi. pet of most shambly stuff, aid I cannot 'my
tit hey mane to meek geed in it hiss my
difbreat thing to use light soil or to pot lightly. The
soil , for ermatione may indeed be sand and loam,
l charred terfs from • eommou, and 'thermal cleat
antrine rubbish crumbled and mixed together; but
while the drainage is effective (a handful of broken pots
gradually getting smaller, ore zinc cap or oyster shell
and • few bite of charcoal covered with moss that has
been baked to kill it), So one need the least fear ram-
miles- in the soil too hard. Ido not think that any in-
does gardener ought to use soil that contains manure •,
it mans to me only to esiseurage insists, and charcoal
probably will supply Ms piles suffisisibig. If this were
not enough I wolibi qt.'s,* am something chemical
(rnela as nitrate of soda) in a solution weaker than one
would give out of doors, The striking carnations has
come in some unaccountable way to be thought •
mystery. I sometimes suspect it is that people are too
Mantbein watering, he., and there is certainly some-
times mother cause of failure, when • set of cuttings
are exposed by neglect to rain, which drooping upon
their leaves covers them with black 'mote. The
endings or "pipings" should have about three joints.
I bum the.. knots whence leaves wring, being out
with • sharp knife or dislocated at the third. When it
is has dislocated it comes out like • round knuckle
bone—but Jam not sure myself but that the clean out
does better and grows quicker. These cuttings
do not need any preparation whatever, no shorten-
ing leave. and spoiling their looks for
months: they have merely to have their lowest leaves
tuned beak so that they rade off—and to be kept as
heehaw it is possible to -keep them. They should be
bikini always on • soot and shady evening—and all the
better if the air is damp after • rainy day. The means
for striking them are exoessively simple, One of the
beet sets that I ever raised was planted in a very large
dower-pot eight or nine inches wide. The pot was well
drained, the drainage lined with moss, and then some
stiff soil rammed hard, for about half-way up, so that
water would soak away very slowly' indeed. A little
light powdery turf and loam was added mixed with
charcoal, and on the top • layer of pure sand. Water
was peered on till it soaked through the whole not, and
thee yet more was given to make the sand into mud.
The shief object of this extreme wetness is to prevent
the neciassity of watering overhead, while the young
plaits are growing The cutting pot is then stuck per-
fectly full MI cuttings, an inch apart giving quite 'effi-
cient rODUI ; the ends slip into the mud in • most satis-
factory manner. The pot of cuttings thus prepared
must have some kind of shelter; the closer the better
for exeluding rain : but dry air of all things has also to
be avoided, as well as any sunshine. I have struck
quantities% a very Mall sort of hotbed frame standing
on the ground; this, however, had a wooden
floor, and If there is no flooring, ashes or stones
meet be used to keep out insects carefully.
Thelights were in this ease shaded with brown paper,
as the pleb where the frame stoodliwas "tinny. The
paper of worse was stuck on inside, and after • day or
two we pre &little air by plashing the glasses down at
night a little. After a few weeks they were taken off
entirely, exeept during heavy raies. The plants do not
thus want water till they begin to have air. The same
year I had a very large dower-pot, like those that are
sometimes bed for coverieg seakale, and filling Ibis
pot up, pert el the way with ashes, my cuttings in their
pot were put to stand inside it. I took care of mine
not ba let the leaves touch the aide of the outer pot.
This osier pet stood in • pan of water. It was oovered
merely with a piece of glass, and in it the cutting, did
even better than these that were in the frame. if
heavy glees is used, sad the pot barn • smooth rim, ifire
rein isanst likely will wok get underneath the glass ; bit
in any bee a. little rim of elav formed underneath eh
glass preventa its slipping off, and also prevents Oil
onus of fearing dripping. Glasses put on this Mt
can ,he propped up with • stick, when the tin* comes
for siting. When cuttinp are grown in the open
groneid under band/lasses, it should be on the same
prinsiple—a bed of sandy mud—shade at neat —air as
soon as ponsibie, giving it fiat at night; and when re-
pottisg time somas a thorough drenching to detach the
roots, aid planting again in pots with wet mud around
them The muddy sprint need extend no farther.
Burble whit,* the plants reclaim only to be kept from
=but no plants more benefit by occasional
11 with large *smells hair brushes. Insects are
very fond of pinks of all kinds, but with proper ears I
do not know an hints more easily kept free of them.
Parbitpi in may be • little beret—that the
ilusis me ad 41001151 Oat wp reap CO c#TO they
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