70 



HORTICULTURE 



January 20, 1906 



CARNATION WINSOR. 



Our illustration shows a carnation 

 house of the F. R. Pierson Company 

 at Scarboro, N. Y. This magnificent 

 structure covers an area of half an 

 acre and contains about 20,000 plants. 

 The three middle benches, as shown 



in the picture, are occupied by Win- 

 sor, a new carnation which has evoked 

 unbounded admiration wherever 

 shown. The flower strongly resembles 

 the Lawson in form and other char- 

 acteristics, but the color is that rich 



satiny pink long-sought and rarely at- 

 tained by the hybridizer. The won- 

 derful productiveness of the variety 

 is well displayed in the illustration, 

 as is its vigorous, healthy growth. It 

 will take high rank in the Boston 

 show. 



OUR SUPPLEMENT. 



The accompanying colored plate 

 shows the Nigella Miss Jekyll which 

 is being distributed by Messrs. Sutton 

 and Sons. Nigella damascena is a 

 very popular flower in English gar- 

 dens. Few plants have so many popu- 

 lar names as the nigella. some of them 

 being "Love-in-a-Mist" — the most 

 familiar, — "Devil-in-a-Bush," "Fennel 

 Flower," "St. Catherine's Wheel," and 

 "Bishop's Wort." Most of these names 

 derive their origin from the curious 

 and quaint appearance of the pale blue 

 flowers surrounded by the leafy in- 

 volucre. Nigella damascena is a 

 native of South Europe and was in- 

 troduced from there in 1570, so that 

 it is a very old inhabitant of European 

 gardens. The typical Nigella damas- 

 cena is a plant some 18 inches high, of 

 erect branching habit with pretty fen- 

 nel-like foliage and a pale blue flower 

 peeping out from its leafy surround- 

 ings at the end of each shoot. The 

 value of "Love-in-a-Mist" does not lie 

 in the flowers alone however, for the 

 latter are succeeded by curious horned 

 carpels, which are decidedly ornamen- 

 tal and which give to the flower one of 

 its popular names, "Devil-in-a-Bush." 



There are many varieties of Nigella 

 damascena in cultivation, some with 

 white, others with blue-purple and 

 double flowers, but the finest of all is 

 undoubtedly Nigella Miss Jekyll 

 shown in the colored plate. It was 

 raised by and named after Miss Jekyll. 

 This variety gives an abundance of 

 long-stemmed flowers which are of a 

 clear corn-flower blue prettily set in 

 slender foliage. The plant is perfectly 

 hardy and an autumn sowing out of 

 doors produces even finer specimens 

 the following summer than seeds do 

 that are sown in the spring. Nigella 

 hispanica is a beautiful plant with 

 large handsome deep blue flowers, hav- 

 ing blood red stamens. It is a native 

 of the fields of Southern Spain and 

 North Africa and is quite as hardy as 

 the common Love-in-a-Mist, while it 

 comes into flower earlier. It has been 

 in cultivation since 1G29, but it has 

 never become so common in gardens 

 as damescena probably because it is 

 not quite so hardy and its culture 

 gives rather more trouble. In all gar- 

 dens where the Love-in-a-Mist is 

 grown the new Nigella Miss Jekyll 

 will doubtless soon become a great 

 favorite. 



G. C. WATSON PAYS HIS RE- 

 SPECTS TO "PHIL." 



Jno. Welsh Young hails me as the 

 "junior member" of the horticultural 

 press. John is hereby informed, if he 

 does not already know, that I was di- 

 vesting myself of more or less serious 

 horticultural literature when he was 

 stealing apples in knee breeches! 

 John means well, but he talks on the 

 spur. Any old bluff is accepted by 

 him as the most serious proposition, 

 and the boys, confound them, take ad- 

 vantage of that fact and abuse things! 

 Such is John's naivette, ductility and 

 resilience, however — he instantly con- 

 verts it all into news of the finest 

 water; and not only that, but he man- 

 ages to get it printed too! Here's a 

 health to you, John! Your continued 

 presence in the horticultural arena is 

 an enduring charm and contributes 

 wonderfully to the gaiety of nations. 

 But. seriously, John, did you ever try 

 to tincture a glass of desire with a 

 dash of discretion? I have. It's not 

 a pleasant drink, but it does one good 

 afterwards. 



