FEBRUARY 17. 1S98. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review. 



495 



Carnation Flora Hill. 



Photograptied l>\ J. Hnrace McFarland. Ilarrishurg, Pa. 



alone and if you go right back to the 

 wild single carnation, as it grows even 

 today on ruined castles in Normandy, 

 you will find that its petals have the 

 same characteristic serration. Latter 

 day developments have made it possi- 

 ble to have two such distinct types of 

 flower, and the trend of progress in 

 American carnations is in the same di- 

 rection; witness some of the newer v.a- 

 rieties, Alba superba, Glacier. Mrs. 

 James Dean, etc., but I hope the day 

 is very far distant when the American 

 Carnation Society will take a ridicul- 

 ous and indefensible stand, and declare 

 one type of flower correct, the other in- 

 correct, and publish a standard of type 

 so closely drawn as to destroy indivi- 

 duality of variety, creating instead a 

 form for all. with about as many lines 

 of beauty as there are in those floral 

 enormities a little skill can carve out 

 of a cabbage stalk. 



The previous remarks notwithstand- 

 ing, I will assert that if American car- 

 nations would only do as well in Eng- 

 land as they do here, they would be 

 welcomed by thousands who have gar- 

 dens and grow their own flowers, and 

 they would find a ready sale in the 

 markets. Lack of sun in winter will, 

 however, always operate to their disad- 

 vantage during that season and render 

 impossible results that will bear any 

 comparison with what is achieved here, 

 since as before said climatic conditions 

 were a potent aid in developing the 

 race of American varieties. 



With a record to date of continuous 

 advancement, in what direction shall 

 we look for further future progress? 



Were there ever more candidates for 

 election to position on the scroll of 

 fame than this present season and 

 how many of them will be growing 

 a decade hence? Yet there is room ;incl 

 scope for further achievements and a 

 possibility that this year or next or the 

 following may be written in scarlet or 

 gold with special significance, conspi- 

 cuously prominent upon the roll of 

 records. A commercial red or yellow 

 comparable with the best in other col- 

 ors that we have today would surely 

 make a banner year of the year that 

 saw its birth. We shall not be striv- 

 ing after the impossible, and it fieems 

 strange that up to date a good all round 

 red has not appeared, because, at any 

 rate, among European carnations red is 

 quite a predominating hue. That a 

 pure yellow is lacking need not occa- 

 sion so much surprise for it is past his- 

 tory and present day experience that 

 constitutional delicacy has some mys- 

 terious affinity or connection with the 

 possession of this color. There are 

 now. however, on the other side a few 

 really good yellows and though not be- 

 longing to the winter flowering class 

 they ought to be of service, and po.-5si- 

 bly in the course of several genera- 

 tions, enable us to fill the vacant niche. 

 They are on this side now in the hands 

 of one or two of the most reputed 

 raisers. Casting up the total of gains 

 that belong to the past the volume of 

 them is encouraging, inspiring to 

 greater endeavors in a future full of 

 bright prospects. 



A. HERRINGTON. 

 Madison, N. J. 



CARNATION NOTES. 



New Varieties of 1897. 



Mrs. George M. Bradt. — I said in my 

 last notes that perfection has not been 

 attained yet; there is yet a wide field 

 for improvement. The improvement 

 accomplished in some points tends to 

 emphasize the deficiency in others, 

 shows more plainly the often inhar- 

 monious construction of a variety, and 

 led onward by our sense of the beauti- 

 ful, we feel the necessity to bring about 

 harmony. So this variety, too. lacks in 

 some very essential points. But of all 

 the varieties grown and sent out by 

 us, none has given me more satisfac- 

 tion than this variety has. It is a type 

 of its own, possessing properties not 

 equaled by others. 



This variety is the result of a cross 

 between a dark pink seedling noted, 

 No. 17 (92). in my books, and Mme. 

 Diaz Albertini. The parents of No. 17 

 (92) were Mrs. Reynolds and a scarlet 

 seedling, No. 36 (90). So I may say the 

 parents known are Mrs. Reynolds and 

 Mme. Albertini. The light and dark 

 pink changed to white, the color of 

 one of the parents of Mrs. Reynolds, 

 and the scarlet of the scarlet seedling 

 mentioned above cropped out in the 

 scarlet stripes. 



Striped varieties have always been 

 looked upon as unprofitable to grow, 

 except in limited numbers to supply 

 the demand for such blooms. This va- 

 riety seems to be an exception, for the 

 happy combination of its color, white 

 and scarlet, has captured the flower 



