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It bothered me to know that these beautiful blooms, given to indicate lasting well wishes, should so soon be dumped on the trash heap. It just wasn't right. Then an idea came to me—why not give growing carnations in-flower in pots? These would be ever-blooming and with ordinary care, would last indefinitely. Further, when desired, the plant could be put in a flower bed, where it would yield, for an indefinite period, many dozens of these big, beautiful, pungent flowers.

Not so many years ago the idea of using living Christmas trees came out of nowhere and was a step in the right direction. It conserved a portion of our pine forests and the tree could be set in the garden when the Yuletide was over. I was also aware that potted in-bloom azaleas and lilies make lasting Easter gifts when later planted in the garden. One of our flower beds contains three azalea plants, marking three different Easters on which a blooming azalea brought happiness to my wife's mother.

VISITS TO local florists to sound them out on my idea were the order of the day. I was on the alert for "bugs" in the idea. Each florist approached in my home city, Hollywood, California, was at first plainly skeptical but then grew more or less interested. One in particular waxed enthusiastic, asking if I intended to grow them.

"I'm not a grower of blooms," I told him and the statement brought an indication of a frown. "But just to try out the idea, I intend to become one temporarily. How many could you use?"

"Well, how about twenty-four pinks and four whites?" he suggested.

"Is that the average ratio of demand for pinks and whites?" I asked, and he nodded. "This plan allows the planting of the white on the grave of the mother who has passed on," I went on, and again there was a nod.

"See you a week before Mother's Day," was my parting promise. This put off my next visit to him by a little over six months.

"It's a deal," he assured me and knowing him to be one of the best in town, his statement was good enough for me.

With the wink of an eyelash, as they say, I'd suddenly become a bloom grower, even if only for twenty-eight plants. But by producing that number, I could readily prove my contention as to the solidarity of my idea. Not that I doubted it, but when one takes the responsibility of opening up an untouched outlet for carnation growers, large or small, in many areas, every cultural point must be carefully studied.

As I saw it, there were two classes to benefit by my experiment. The grower for profit, with sales to florists, and the one who grows a dozen or so for the pleasure of giving the blooming plants as presents on Mother's Day.

I TRIED to cover in my mind every point, large or small, which entered into my plan. One of the first considered was that the project had climatic restrictions. Being winter cultivation, its success might be confined to areas where winter frosts are little known.

Carnations will easily take frosts of fifteen degrees above zero although when continual, plant growth will be retarded.

But the plan can be followed in any area, with the necessary plant protection afforded by a greenhouse, hotbed, cold frame, sun room, or even windows with a southern exposure. The cultivation, whether outdoors or under protection, is identical. In either case, the plants are potted during early October in the open and should be kept there until frosts drive them to cover. Naturally, this applies only to areas where protection is necessary. In regions where very mild winters, prevail, the potted plants remain outdoors for the entire growing period.

Returning to the frosty districts, those who possess a greenhouse will find the cultivation process to be most simple. The usual height of the benches is three feet and the pots should be arranged on the bench soil, instead of the plants being set in it. If this soil has been previously used for culture of any description, it would be well to spray it lightly with a well diluted mixture of potassium permanganate. As for the height from the benches to the glass roof, this varies, but will always be sufficient to permit carnation growing.

AS FOR hotbeds and cold frames, they are initially of the same character and dimensions. So we'll consider the the building of a hotbed and anyone who can wield a hammer and push and pull a saw can quickly build the frame. This will later be covered by a window sash, to afford the necessary protection. A second hand one in which the glass is intact will serve just as well as a new one.

The average standard bedroom window sash on the west coast is three feet wide and five and a half feet long. So we will use these measurements for the size of the pit to be dug down to a depth of two feet. The box to be sunk in the excavation is best made of one-inch-thick boards.

This box will come above the ground on the north side by two feet, on the south side one and a half feet. In other words, your side boards will have a pitch of six inches from one end to the other, which is the slant frame and glass will take.

When the finished box is set in the hole and the frame and glass hinged to the northern end, the plants will get the full benefit of the southern sun. But before doing that, fill the box with a foot of fresh manure, either cow or horse, but with as little straw as possible. Yes, you guessed it. The decomposition which follows will furnish the necessary heat for the frame, so water heavily to aid in this connection. Then pack it well.

Toss back upon the manure some of the earth which came out of the hole, until what will be the floor of your hotbed is even with the surrounding soil. In other words, you will have a foot of earth to shovel back to where it came from. This, too, should be well packed.

Putting on the sash is the next move. As mentioned before, it should be hinged to the north or higher end of the frame. You'll need good, stout hinges, too. They'll be called upon to function many times within the following months. Now just a little tip: unless you can handle a saw better than the average person, your slanting cut on the side board may not meet perfectly. Should such be the case, with cracks through which Jack Frost could edge his way, secure narrow strips of felt and fasten to the top of the sides. And it's not a bad idea to do the same on the ends.

The decomposition of the manure will, in addition to heat, create a dampness within the hotbed which will have an invigorating effect on the plants. But without proper ventilation, this could be harmful. To offset any such risk, the lower, or southern end of the sash, should be propped open for about two inches each day. This should be a midday chore and one must be guided by temperatures as to how long the ventilation should continue. This period will vary from a half hour on days when there are only a few degrees of frost in the air, to a couple of minutes when the mercury hovers close to zero.

Just one more point before we leave hotbeds and go to cold frames, but this suggestion applies to both. Bank all four sides of the boxes heavily with fresh manure, packed wide at the point where the box comes out of the ground, angling it off to where the sides meet the sash. Did you ever notice in farming communities, how fresh manure is banked against cellar windows throughout extreme winters?

And here's another vital point which covers both hotbeds and cold frames. The pit of each, when three feet wide and five and a half long, affords ample space for forty pots, or forty-five cans. These figures afford a basis for calculation, should added beds or frames be considered.

NOW TO cold frames. With these, no glass frame is used, giving full leeway as to measurements. But bear in mind, they can only be used in areas where light frosts obtain principally at night. For example, twenty degrees of night frost may seem little or no frost during the day, so the frame may be left open throughout most of the sunny hours. For night protection, any sort of cover may be used, such as matting, old carpets, or even discarded horse blankets, should there be any in this "horseless age."

As to sun-rooms, and available windows on the sunny side of the house, the latter will prove useful, provided the night temperatures are not permitted to fall below thirty degrees, and a day temperature of at least sixty is maintained. This will make for uninterrupted plant growth. Constant dampness in the pots will create sufficient moisture to offset the variance of temperatures.

A frame or boxes should be used to bring the bottoms of the pots level with the lower portion of the window frame. By this arrangement, not only will the plants receive the advantage of the full sunshine, but the earth and roots will also be benefited. But at no time, even in the middle of the day, should plant growth be allowed to contact the glass. Further, never overlook lowering the shades at night, as failure to do this would permit the glass to reflect on the plants the frost of the night.

WHETHER OPEN culture, hotbeds, cold frames, sunrooms, or southern exposure windows, each cultivation is identical and the potting period should be early in October. Thus, the plants are potted in the open and kept there until frosts force some form of coverage. For those who face mild winters, the plants remain outside for the entire growing season.

All things being equal, the plants should bear blooms five and a half months from the date of planting. Even so, it must be borne in mind that in cooler weather, all plant growth is slower than in summer and allowance made for this fact.

Let's take October 10 as the planting date for the rooted cuttings. With plants blooming normally, the huge rose pink blooms would be in evidence about March 30. But cool weather may tend to hold back conventional growth, so plan accordingly. Yet this fact must not be taken too seriously. In other words, growing for Mother's Day is like going for the 5 o'clock train. It's far better to be in your seat at 4:50 than to reach the station at 5:01, if you get what I mean.

Planted in early October, even where winter weather makes protection necessary this climatic condition should not occur much before the middle of November. And usually by late March the need for protection will be over, with the plants requiring cover only when cold nights are experienced.

For the pinks I selected Carlotta, a rose pink carnation which is noted for heavy plant growth and multiplicity of large, perfectly formed blooms. On more than one occasion I have counted as many as ten blooms and the same number of full buds on one plant at the same time. For the whites, I decided on Grassell's White. The very large blooms with their well serrated petal edges are always as prolific bloomers as Carlotta, and the words which were used to praise the latter fit exactly when applied to Grassell.

The height of a full grown plant will average about two feet. This measurement means that with bloom stems of two feet which start at the base of the plant, an over-all height of about three feet results. This should be remembered when using either cold frames or hotbeds, the glass of which is not usually more than a foot and a half from the soil. But this is nothing to worry about, as the plants should not need protection after the bloom stems begin to shoot up. Late spring will attend to that.

NOW LET'S get down to brass tacks and start with space requirements. The average backyard should be of sufficient area to accommodate a few hundred potted plants. As a basis, I'll take the twenty-four Carlottas I raised and leave out the four Grassells. All plants are figured in dozens, you know.

Set in two rows, twenty-four pots require eight feet by one and a half feet. No one could say he—perhaps I should also say, she—couldn't find that much window space in a given room, or out of doors. All of which proves my contention that growing in pots requires a very minute portion of "Adam's green footstool."

Continuing the space specifications, forty-eight pots, in two double rows of twelve each, with a two-foot walk between, fit perfectly into a rectangle eight feet long and five feet wide.

As to containers, there are two different types, each of which has definite advantages. The clay pot, size number 7, now costing about 25 cents a pair, was what I used.

Clay pots have the advantage of attractive appearance, but the disadvantage of being porous, which means that the rapid evaporation which takes place quickly dries out the contents. When not immediately corrected, this condition can result in temporary growth stoppage. And don't overlook the cost.

Now for gallon tin cans. These are usually obtainable from bakers, hospitals or public institutions. And listen to this—as a general rule, you'll be thanked for taking them away! They're free, even if you don't get thanked. Not being porous, the contents do not dry out quickly. But the bottom of each can must be well punched, to carry off excess moisture.

The cans don't have the classy look that clay pots have, but when the cans are wrapped with fancy paper, they'll be nearly as appealing as are the blooms themselves. After all, who can gainsay the adage about "It's not the clothes, it's what is in them."

AS TO planting and growing details, let's start off with a worthwhile potting mixture, designed for rapid and continuous growth of the plants you've already ordered, and in which they'll shortly take up abode. One-third good garden soil, one-third fine river sand and one-third fertilizer is the proper combination. Each component should be sifted through a quarter inch sieve, then all thoroughly mixed.

A word about fertilizers. Under this heading we can consider well rotted cow manure, humus and chicken and rabbit manure. If you use either of the latter, both of which are particularly strong, the proportion should be reduced to one-sixth, with the garden loam increased by the same amount.

There are two distinct methods of shipping rooted cuttings. The first is in plant-bands, the other bare root. The first is a growing plant in a tar-paper band, or pot, the second is a plant which has no soil on the roots and is shipped with roots packed in sphagnum moss. These latter are taken right from the rooting sand.

The latter method is sure to result in a certain percentage of mortality, largely dependent on the period of time necessary for the shipment to reach its destination. These roots, to keep the plant alive, must depend on the moss for nourishment. Should the moss dry to any extent, good-bye to the plants with which it is in contact.

When in plant-bands, the plants are alive and growing, no matter how far the shipment takes them.

To set the plants, trowel a small hole in the center of the plant mixture in the container. Incidentally, don't bring this important factor, the mixture, more than to within a full inch of the edge of the pot. When tearing off the paper band, take care that the cube of earth is not disturbed, as this might make for root damage. Set the cube of earth in the trowelled hole, but no deeper than the earth stain on the main stem of the plant. Pack the mixture firmly and that job is, completed.

NO ONE is more radical than I am on the subject of mulching—and justly so. It guarantees cool roots in hot weather, as well as warm roots during cold spells. Also, moisture is conserved, weed growth is kept down, and the top of the mixture cannot cake. One has quite a latitude as to mulches. Manure, peat moss, oak leaves, humus, straw, or green grass cuttings may be used. The latter is excellent, as it breaks down quickly, and incorporates with the soil, thus lightening it and at the same time, does its bit as a fertilizer.

Water immediately after mulching. Use an overhead spray until you're certain the entire contents of the pot are well soaked. From then on, I've learned it is better to irrigate directly on the mixture. Make certain that at all times the mixture is kept on the damp side, but never wet. Carnations have a great antipathy to wet roots and damp foliage. The first can result in root rot. And wet leaves which do not dry off before sundown would mean a plant chilled by the night air, which might tend to hold back plant growth. So—never irrigate after midday, as any water splashed on the foliage might not dry.

THE NEXT move is to stake the plants. Not that they need any support at this stage of their growth, but they will later. And setting the stakes at the outset obviates any possibility of root damage, which could readily happen if the stakes were installed after the roots have spread.

Supports make for upstanding plants, with strong, straight bloom stems. I admit that "stopping," which is described in a later paragraph, makes for stronger and more erect plants, but my experiences make staking a "must."

There are several staking methods, but no matter how it is done, never use string, as it is apt to cut. It also rots quickly. Use raffia, usually obtainable at any garden supply store. Also, never draw a plant so tightly that it is deprived of sun or air circulation. Plants breathe through their leaves and when brought tightly together, are deprived of it, just as is a strangled person.

As many have learned, in some cases an efficient homemade gadget serves its purpose even better than an expensive "boughten" product. This holds especially with regard to plant supports. We make all ours and as one customer wrote me, after I'd told him how to make them, he was able to turn out fifteen an hour, once he caught onto the knack.

Here's how it's done. Take a three-quarter-inch-square stake twenty inches long. Drill holes, the first one ten inches from the base, the second and third about four inches apart. Use galvanized wire for the loops, My choice is number 20, which is light and easy to handle. Form the wire into loops about eight inches in diameter, with ends about five inches long. Force these ends of each loop through a hole, then bring each one back and through the loop. This makes the loop stand out horizontally. Then take each end back and around the support and twist them tightly together.

Stakes should be set about eight inches deep and three inches from the main stem of the plant. Don't get uneasy, should it appear that a good gust of wind might blow it over. Remember, it's in a soft, friable mixture, but within a couple of weeks, and long before it'll be of any use to the plant, that same mixture will hold it erect and in place. As the plant develops and spreads, it should be trained through the loops.

SELECT A sunny spot free of wind in your back yard in which to place your containers. I have learned by experience that twelve containers make a row and should be placed closely together. Twenty-four demand a double row, while forty-eight and any multiple thereof should be set in double rows, with a space two feet wide between them. This latter gives a passage, from which to give the slight care each plant deserves.

Within a month there will be the "stopping" of each plant. This is the pulling out in its entirety—not merely pinching it off—of the center growth. This is easily recognized, being round, not flat, like a leaf. Do this at least three times during the growing period, or whenever it reaches a length of about an inch. This sends the plant strength to the roots, making for stronger root systems, which in turn assures more maximum sized blooms.

The final chore is disbudding. As a general rule, all lateral, or side growth on the bloom stems will result in additional buds. As they appear, they should be pinched off. This will make the tip blooms, which are the ones to retain, larger, stronger and more true to color.

Plants, like people, must be fed, but fortunately not quite as often. Plant feedings should be at intervals of three or four weeks. I use a liquid fertilizer with a twenty-five per cent nitrogen content, seven per cent phosphorous and seven per cent potash, and from experience, I consider it the best on the market and it's strictly organic. Whatever one you use, make certain it is perfectly soluble, with no sand used as a filler. Unless you know more about the product than the manufacturer, follow closely the directions as to use. Plants, also like people, can suffer indigestion. But don't overlook the fact that your aim is to force your plants to a certain limit. Be certain of your forcing medium, as that is really a vital point.

IF YOU'RE growing for profit, when the plants are half grown, it might be well to contact your local florist, to pave the way for a later sale. And please believe me when I say that will be easier than you imagine. I know whereof I speak, and from actual personal experience.

The morning of May 1, I took a good look at my plants. They were all I'd expected and a little more. Each one filled the wires of its support and all were, big and healthy. And the blooms! Each had four to seven full ones, with bursting buds in all stages of development. As is customary in all businesses, I picked the best plant as a sample and went to the florist who'd given me the order.

It was Thursday, specially selected because that has always been my lucky day. Now far be it from me to lead anyone to believe that I'm so superstitious that I'm building up a fortuneteller's bank account, or anything like that, but isn't it just as easy to walk around a raised ladder as it is to walk under it?

The florist surveyed the plant, then smiled broadly. "You sure got something there!" he exclaimed. "What's the price and how many are there for me?"

"Two dollars and fifty cents each and there are twenty-four reds and four whites." A sigh of relief escaped me before I added, "I'll bring them next Tuesday."

"Fine! How about doubling up on the number?"

Imagine that, if you can! And I couldn't supply the demand!

The afternoon of May 5 was an eventful one, at least for me. It was then that I made delivery of twenty-seven registered prize carnation plants. The sample I had shown the previous Thursday I had left there, at the request of the florist. The florist told me that using it as a sample, he had already sold most of the one's I'd just brought in.

He handed me a check for $70. "Wish you had enough plants so I could double the amount," he said.

BACK AT my office, I coldly calculated receipts and expenses. On the credit side there was the $70. As for expenditures, the only definite one was $3.50 for pots. There were trifling expenses, such as plant bands, fertilizers and the components of the potting mixture, yet all were so insignificant that they were not worth considering. My net profit was $66.50 but this figure does not include any plant cost or labor charges. Even so, no one can say it wasn't worth while. Added to this net profit is the fascination which goes with the growing, plus the tremendous satisfaction I reaped.

Summing up, I'd hit upon a grand hobby for either sex. And the best part is that it pays off in cash in about six months. Yet the profits I garnered could be misleading. So let's take a case of a hobbyist who starts from scratch, meaning that he—or she—has to buy the initial supply of plants. From then on, he—or she—can root his own.

The initial plant cost for twenty-four would be about $9.45 delivered (based on current prices in my vicinity). Pots would be $3 (using tin cans would eliminate this expense) and incidentals probably $1.50. This outlay totals, $13.95 and gives a net profit of $46.05, to be realized in about six months. As will be noted, I have taken a minimum sale price of $2.50, although I am reasonably certain that a higher price can be obtained. And another point to consider is that the greater number of plants used, the less the proportionate cost per plant.