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  Retrograde 
  Varieties 
  

  

  which 
  are 
  arranged 
  in 
  opposite 
  pairs 
  and 
  there- 
  

   fore 
  constitute 
  four 
  rows. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  variety 
  the 
  flower 
  is 
  suppressed 
  and 
  

   this 
  loss 
  is 
  attended 
  by 
  a 
  corresponding 
  in- 
  

   crease 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  pairs 
  of 
  bracts. 
  

   This 
  malformation 
  results 
  in 
  square 
  spikes 
  or 
  

   somewhat 
  elongated 
  heads 
  consisting 
  only 
  of 
  

   the 
  greenish 
  bracts. 
  As 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  flowers, 
  

   the 
  variety 
  is 
  quite 
  sterile, 
  and 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  re- 
  

   garded 
  by 
  horticulturists 
  as 
  an 
  improvement 
  on 
  

   the 
  ordinary 
  bright 
  carnations, 
  it 
  is 
  seldom 
  mul- 
  

   tiplied 
  by 
  layering. 
  Notwithstanding 
  this, 
  it 
  

   appears 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  seen 
  in 
  

   different 
  countries 
  and 
  at 
  different 
  periods, 
  

   and, 
  what 
  is 
  of 
  great 
  importance 
  for 
  us, 
  in 
  dif- 
  

   ferent 
  strains 
  of 
  carnations. 
  Though 
  sterile, 
  

   and 
  obviously 
  dying 
  out 
  as 
  often 
  as 
  it 
  springs 
  

   into 
  existence, 
  it 
  is 
  nearly 
  two 
  centuries 
  old. 
  

   It 
  was 
  described 
  in 
  the 
  begining 
  of 
  the 
  18th 
  cen- 
  

   tury 
  by 
  Volckamer, 
  and 
  afterwards 
  by 
  Jaeger, 
  

   De 
  Candolle, 
  Weber, 
  Masters, 
  Magnus 
  and 
  

   many 
  other 
  botanists. 
  I 
  have 
  had 
  it 
  twice, 
  at 
  

   different 
  times 
  and 
  from 
  different 
  growers. 
  

  

  So 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  ascertain 
  re- 
  

   versions 
  of 
  this 
  curious 
  carnation 
  to 
  normal 
  

   flowers 
  have 
  not 
  vet 
  been 
  recorded. 
  Such 
  a 
  

  

  ft/ 
  

  

  modification 
  occurred 
  last 
  summer 
  in 
  my 
  gar- 
  

   den 
  on 
  a 
  plant 
  which 
  had 
  not 
  been 
  divided 
  or 
  

   layered, 
  but 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  slender 
  branches 
  had 
  

  

  