HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. 



This was probably in 1861. This carnation was for fifteen years or more, 

 the most largely cultivated of the time. It was very productive. I have 

 seen a house of it at the late Wm. Bennett's, at Flatbush, which had on 

 every plant from 75 to 100 buds at the one time. I never saw it grown in quan- 

 tity quite so well as he grew it, but it came to pass, after he had grown 

 it so well for a number of years, it was attacked by "stem-rot," and on 

 calling at his place one day early in the winter, I found more than one half 

 of the plants dead. It was so attacked, with more or less virulence, in all 

 sections of the country, and I believe, the once grand old variety is now 

 extinct. I last saw it at Karl Miiller's place in West Philadelphia, about 

 fifteen years ago. This fine old German gardener managed to grow it 

 successfully five or six years after it had generally disappeared. The 

 blooms of La Purite were about one-third the size of our now famous 

 Enchantress, and the mental coniiiarison between the two, is to me, very 

 interesting. No carnation has hid, as the theatrical men say, such a "long 

 run on the stage" as La Pnnte. Its successors in the "deep pink" class 

 were Tidal Wave and Thos. Cartledgc, both useful, but Tidal Wave at- 

 tamed the greater popularity. 



Of the "light pink" class there have been several notable ones; Grace 

 Wilder, introduced by Mr. Tailby was a very useful variety, for many years 

 the best of its color; later, we had the famous William Scott, and if Mr. Dor- 

 ner had done nothing else, he deserves a monument for raising and intro- 

 ducing this. It came out at the same time as Richmond and Albertina, both 

 of which excelled it on the exhibition table, but both fell so far behind it 

 in productiveness that they were soon dropped, while William Scott, for 

 many years had no successful rival, until Mrs. Francis Joost appeared. 

 Later we had Nelson and Genevieve Lord. The famous Lawson then ap- 

 peared. The introduction of this variety gave a greater impulse to carna- 

 tion growing than any variety before or since. In many respects it was su- 

 perior to anything preceding it; it was brilliantly advertised, and best of all, 

 justified every claim made for it. It made Peter Fisher's name a household 

 word in carnation circles, and when he introduced Enchantress, saying that 

 it was "better than Lawson" there were many doubters, but Peter was right. 

 We hope he may live to give us more as good or better. The parents of 

 Lawson were Tidal Wave (locally known as Van Leeuwen) and Daybreak, 

 which latter was a distinct and valuable "break." Out of Lawson have come 

 several famous sorts, Enchantress, Mrs. M. A. Patton and Mr. Nelson 

 Fisher, and Mr. Fisher has a brilliant red on the way. It is certainly a rich 

 strain of blood. 



And we are ready for another one of this color. Helen Goddard bids 

 fair to be a winner, and when Helen Gould and Winsor are introduced next 

 year, particularly Winsor, they will certainly prove valuable. I am in love 

 with Winsor; it is just the shade of pink that is wanted, has a vigorous con- 



29 



