September 11, 1873. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



195 



For miscellaneous floral subjects Mr. W. Paul took the leac3ing 

 place with a fine collection of cut Hoses, Geraniums, GladioU, 

 and baskets of Euonymus fiavescens and Kemus Pelargonium, 

 one of the salmon-eyed section. Messrs. Carter made a gi"eat 

 display of Gladioli ; Mr. Turner had splendid stands of Dahlias, 

 of which Ovid, noticed last week, had again a first-class certi- 

 ficate : and Messrs. Downie, Laird, & Laing sent a fine collection 

 of Palms, Dracaenas, cut Phloxes, Bicolor and other Geraniums, 

 &c. Mr. Ley, Croydon, likewise contributed a collection. From 

 Messrs. Dick Radclyfie & Co. came an effective display of Fern 

 cases and similar adjuncts ; and we may add here, though not 

 belonging to the floral department, that Messrs. Criscuolo, Kay, 

 and Co. exhibited very large Onions of the Tripoli varieties. 



ROSE ISSUING FROM A ROSE. 

 I THOUGHT the enclosed wonld be interesting to you. It is 

 William Griffith ; the dark part in the stem was where there 



was a bloom some six or eight weeks ago. The stem, as yoa will 

 see, came oat of the centre of the flower, and, as yon will 

 obsorre, prodaced the present flower. There were small leaves 

 just above the dark part, the smallest next above the dark 

 part, with another like it with three leaflets, one red like a Kose 

 petal, the other two green; another leaf was all green. In 

 Jane I had a flower on Folgens, which produced a hud from 



the centre of it that came out about a month after the first, 

 but the stem from the centre of the first flower was only about 

 2 inches long ; the second flower was quite perfect as a bloom, 

 as was also the first. — Gsohge Lee, Clevedon. 



[The leaves just above the dai-k part of the stem were very 

 small, pinnate, and two or three of the leaflets partly rose- 

 coloured. The stem. Rose, and leaves represented in oui- en- 

 graving issued from the centre of another Rose, which was 

 home where the letter a is placed. — Eds.] 



THE CARNATION (DIANTHUS CARYOPHTLLUS). 



The early history of this flower is shrouded in mystery, 

 there being really no authentic record extant whereby we may 

 be enlightened as to when or by whom the improved species 

 was first introduced into Britain. While one recorder credits 

 Germany, another Italy, as being its native country, it is like- 

 wise chronicled that Gerrard received it from Poland in 1.597_. 



The species from which the present improved varieties iu 

 cultivation originated is said to be indigenous to England, 

 where it has been found a habitant of rocks and old walls. 

 Whatever is its native country is of minor importance, sufli- 

 cient that we know that it has been cultivated in Europe from 

 time immemorial, and that its appreciable qualities have not 

 degenerated, but continue yearly to improve. In early times, 

 when the Carnation had comparatively few rivals with attrac- 

 tions to commend them to share the sovereignty of the garden, 

 she was the recognised queen of summer and autumn, her 

 insignia for this exalted rank being the brilliancy and diversity 

 of colour, stately habit of growth, handsome symmetrical form 

 of flower, united to refreshing sweetness of perfume. But of 

 late years the Carnation, along with other hardy plants, has in 

 a measure been in the shady side of popular esteem, and we 

 now join the unanimous voice which recalls her to a place of 

 honour in every garden. riJil?'' 



Class[fication.^Thei-e are several distinguishable features 

 which separate the Carnation into groups, by which we have 

 what are designated Bizarres, Flakes, Picotees, and Selfs or 

 Cloves. Bizarres exhibit in their white petals, irregular stripes, 

 and spots of two different shades of colour. Flakes are dis- 

 tinguished by being composed of two colours — the ground 

 colour, and flakes of rose, scarlet, or purple. Picotees are de- 

 termined by having a margin or lacing around the petals. 

 Selfs or Cloves have only one colour, either white, crimson, 

 scarlet, purple, or other intermediate shades. Each division 

 furnishes endless varieties, which are subdivided into the fol- 

 lowing : — Scarlet flake, pink flake, yeUow flake, <te. The same 

 rule is applied to describe Bizarres and Picotees, but applies 

 to the lacing of the latter. In addition to the foregoing, we 

 have the much-valued Tree Carnation in grand array. These 

 are almost exclusively cultivated in pots, and wUl be treated 

 of separately. 



Propagation. — This is effected by layers and pipings when 

 the object is to multiply approved varieties, and by seed for 

 procuring new sorts. By Layrrs : The time to propagate by 

 this means is just when the early flowers have expanded; and 

 the method of procedure is first to have sifted through a fine 

 sieve a mixture composed of river sand two parts, loam one 

 part, and leaf mould one part. With this form a little mound 

 around each plant to be operated upon ; slope the mound 

 down untU it joins the base of the plant, so that the layers 

 conveniently bend and lie to it without disjointing them. 

 When completed, proceed further by taking the shoots in- 

 tended to form layers, and cutting away the lower leaves. 

 Then insert the knife about half an inch below the third joint, 

 and make an incision into the centre of the joint, directing the 

 knife up the centre of the stem. Cut away the extreme end 

 of the tongue thus formed by the insertion of the knife. The 

 layer is next bent down to the ground and fixed in position by 

 means of a hooked peg, being careful that the incision is left 

 open when fixed. AVhen all the layers on the same plant have 

 been operated upon, finish by putting a covering of the com- 

 post over them, and water well with a pot furnished with a 

 finely-perforated rose. Their subsequent demands are only a 

 watering occasionally, should the weather prove dry. 



The afternoon of a hot day is perhaps the best time to per- 

 form layering, when the plants are rendered less or more 

 flaccid by the heat of the earlier part of the day, and therefore 

 more pliable than would bo the case iu the morning when they 

 are glutted with the 8.ap accumulated overnight. By the end 

 of September the layers ought to bo sufficiently rooted to have 



