HORTICUIvTURAI. SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. 



Carnations^ Past and Presents 



By Robert Craig — February 14, 1906 



This is "Carnation Night" at the Horticultural Society of New York, 

 and I have been asked to say something to you on the subject of Carnations. 



The Carnation, as grown to-day, is almost exclusively a florists' flower, 

 and hybridizers have been breeding to improve this strain, but there is a 

 wider field and important field for them, — the development of Garden 

 Carnations hardy enough to live through the winter without protection, 

 in the latitude of Philadelphia and New York, and with the quality of 

 blooming through the summer. The discussion of this idea might form a 

 lengthy paper in itself, so I will confine my remarks to varieties grown 

 under glass for winter bloom. 



It would not be wise for me, in view of the fact that, at the present 

 time, the literature of the Carnation is so voluminous, to attempt to give 

 you a comprehensive and detailed history of the wonderful flower, as we 

 know it to-day, and as we see it here on the tables to-night. 



There is more space in the gardening papers devoted to the Carnation 

 than to any other plant or flower. The minutest details as to soils to be 

 used, and methods of culture to be observed, as well as criticisms and 

 descriptions of new varieties as they appear, with histories of the achieve- 

 ments of each in the competitive exhibitions throughout the country, with 

 able discussions on the ancestry of each pedigreed variety; its vigor of 

 constitution, or lack of it; its freedom of bloom or its failure to have this 

 very desirable quality; its desirable habit of commencing to bloom early 

 in the fall, or its undesirable tendency to defer blooming until a later 

 period. Detailed and frequent information on every thing pertaining to 

 Carnations, is so easily accessible that every one interested must have his 

 desire for knowledge almost fully satisfied, as far as the printed page can 

 give, and little further can be learned except by personal culture of the 

 plant, which occupation I recommend to every amateur as one of the most 

 charming that can engage his or her attention. So, I feel that if I am to 

 interest you to-night, it may be by a brief expression of my thoughts as I 

 review my experiences of the past forty years, with mention of the most 

 famous varieties which have appeared from time to time, remaining with 

 us until they were either overtaken with disease or were displaced by better 

 varieties of similar color and character. Of the hundreds of sorts intro- 

 duced in that period I will speak, in about the order of their introduction, 

 and of each color separately, so as to bring clearly to your minds the 

 wonderful improvement which, notwithstanding many failures, has grad- 

 ually been made. 



The frequent appearance of improved varieties is the principal factor 



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