SEPTEMBER. 257 



CARNATIONS AND PICOTEES. 



(Plate 104.) 



Our present illustration furnishes an example of each of that 

 beaatiful class of flowers, Carnations and Picotees, which have so 

 recently been delighting us. We have thought it a good time to 

 present this plate to our readers, as our present number contains 

 reports of the two great exhibitions of these flowers, viz., the 

 National Carnation and Picotee Society, held at (Jxford on the 

 2nd of August, and the Northern Society, lield at Manchester on 

 the I7th of last month. 



The Carnation Defiance is a superb production of that veteran 

 grower, J. L. Puxley, Esq., of Tenby. It is far superior to any 

 other scarlet flake that has come under our notice, having a pure 

 white, richness, and density of marking, combined with smooth- 

 ness and substance of petal ; it is neither too full nor too thin. 

 It will be seen that this variety not only took the first and second 

 prizes in class showing (and in this class we are very strong — 

 Exit, Christopher Sly, Queen Victoria, Firebrand, Victoria Ke- 

 gina, and Justice Shallow are flowers not easily beaten), but took 

 a much higher position by gaining the premier prize for the best 

 •Carnation exhibited, open to all classes of flowers and exhibitors. 

 Mr. Puxley has for a long time stood very high in producing 

 bizarred Carnations, more particularly crimson bizarres, but until 

 the present instance has not been so successful in flakes. 



The Picotee Mrs. Drake was raised by Mr. C. Turner, Slough. 

 This, like the Carnation, is a great advance on existing varieties 

 of the same class. It is nearly of the colour of a bright bloom of 

 Green's Queen Victoria, but not so heavily marked, with the 

 great advantage of having the colour confined to the edge of the 

 petal, and being without spot or bar. The colour is also more 

 solid on the edge. It has a large petal, which is greatly cupped, 

 and is a full sized flower — much larger, in fact, than our plate 

 would lead us to believe ; it is also brighter than the representa- 

 tion, the drawing having been made from a late side bloom. 

 Being a strong grower, and easily wintered, we expect to see this 

 variety become very general in the winning collections. Heavy 

 rose-edged Picotees are the most showy class, and are generally 

 and deservedly admired. It is therefore pleasing to record the 

 great advance that has been made in them of late. We have now, 

 besides the variety under notice, Alice, Lady Grenville, Venus, 

 Helen, Lamia, Mrs. Pitman, Thalia, besides the good old kinds, 

 such as Princess Royal, Unexpected, and Green's Queen Victoria. 



NEW SERIES, VOL. Y., NO. LVII. 



