400 



THE CULTURE OF THE CARNATION. 



could experience a little of this treatment. 

 As it is, they are too often imprisoned in 

 their hard soils, and about as likely to 

 make progress as a resident of the peniten- 

 tiary to make a fortune. Look at the wil- 

 low ; how anxiously it sends off a root to- 

 wards its natural nourishment — water. 

 That ability I have proved thus. Round 

 the top of the tub of an old gum elastic 

 tree, in the house, which has continued to 

 sustain the heat of a powerful furnace, and 

 to grow wonderfully, I placed a number of 



small thumb pots, filled with rich earth, and 

 kept regularly watered every day. After 

 six weeks, I pulled one of them from the 

 surface, and found a strong root had risen 

 to the small hole in the bottom, and had 

 taken possession ; another and another had 

 the same visitor, though previously the 

 roots had shown no disposition to rise to 

 the surface. A lesson, this, which is full 

 of meaning. Feed your valuable trees, 

 and they will be as grateful as your pigs 

 and poultry. Yours, S. 



THE CULTURE OF THE CARNATION. 



BY WM. CHORLTON, STATEN ISLAND. 



Allow me, through your pages, to draw 

 the attention of your readers to one of Flo- 

 ra's greatest boons — the Carnation. This 

 flower, in its natural state, is truly lovely, 

 but in its greatest floricultural perfection is 

 surpassed by none but the Rose ; and with 

 the exception of the everblooming roses, not 

 even by that flower. Whether we consider 

 its evergreen foliage, the delicate and 

 graceful habit of its flower stems, exquisite 

 perfume, brilliant and distinct colours, or its 

 symmetrical form, it is equally inviting to 

 our senses, and equally admirable, and, in 

 Europe, it is the peculiar favorite of all 

 classes ; and I see no reason why it should 

 not be as generally cultivated in this fine 

 climate, which is all that can be desired for 

 its prosperity. It is true, there are many 

 fine varieties here, in general cultivation; 

 but it is a matter of surprise to me that so 

 few of the best English sorts are to be 

 found, considering the ready transport by 

 steam between the two countries, and the 

 low price at which they can be purchased 

 there. Most of the sorts here are of Ger- 

 man origin, or in the German style, — being 



merely double flowers, without any particu- 

 lar regularity of form, and not possessing 

 distinctness in their colours, which is far 

 from being the case with the English kinds. 

 I do not wish to depreciate the value of the 

 continental carnations ; for I admit that this 

 plant is grown there quite as extensively as 

 it is in Britain ; but I see no reason why we 

 should not possess those which are most 

 beautiful, as they only require the same 

 care. If any nice discrimination is needed 

 to decide the relative merits of such floral 

 varieties, I would wish for no better judges 

 than the American ladies. 



So great is the enthusiasm of some of 

 the rural peasantry of England, regarding 

 the Carnation, that I have frequently known 

 the poor hand-loom weaver strip the tat- 

 tered sheet from his humble bed, to his own 

 discomfort, in order to protect his favorite 

 flowers ; and to him, in most cases, is to be 

 attributed the present perfection of the Car- 

 nation, as the simple technicalities applied to 

 it, and drawn from his untutored mind, will 

 testify. 



The Carnation is the Dianthus caryophyl- 



