HORTICULTUR^\I, SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. 



stitution, a fine stiff stem, and is very productive. I have had no opportunity 

 of seeing Candace, a western variety now being disseminated but I have 

 heard it well spoken of by competent judges. 



Another shade of color which has been very popular may be called 

 "very light pink." The first one of these that I was familiar with was "Miss 

 Joliffe"' a light flesh, tinted with salmon. I knew it well thirty years ago 

 as the best in its class. Later we had Daybreak. This was a very valuable 

 variety with flowers larger than any which had preceded it, and with, for 

 that date, wonderful long, stiff stems, and of a very lovely light flesh shade, 

 and unusually productive; for many years the best of its class, it finally suc- 

 cumbed to disease and was displaced by Fair Maid and Enchantress both 

 excellent varieties. In fact, I think Enchantress, the best carnation, all 

 things considered, ever sent out in this country. It is still very popular, and 

 as long as it continues to be as good as it is now, it will take a wonder, in- 

 deed, to displace it. It is a model in all that constitutes a good carnation, 

 and raisers of new varieties should aim to get its qualities in their seedlings. 

 What a boon a clear yellow Enchantress would be. 



But I find my paper likely to take too much of your time, so in con- 

 sidering the important scarlet class, I will pass over them with brief mention. 

 What a demand for this color at Christmas, it goes so well with the holly 

 berries, the cheerful chimes and the general joy. Century was raised in 1878 

 by the late Charles T. Starr, and while more of a carmine than a scarlet, was 

 very bright and was very useful until the advent of John Thorpe's Portia 

 which was a brilliant scarlet and very largely grown for many years; its 

 color has never been excelled; it was very productive; lack of size was its 

 greatest drawback. Then we had in rapid succession Lady Emma, Allega- 

 tierre, Garfield (this is the variety that Donald McCallum called Robert 

 Craig, thinking he had a "sport" but after being considerably grown as 

 sections, G. H. Crane, for years a good one; then America, Adonis, and fin- 

 ally Cardinal; this has proved to be a good one in the western states, but 

 has, so far, hardly come up to expectations in the east; in fact, it has been 

 a great disappointment, producing a large percentage of worthless blooms. 



Now, we will briefly consider the white class, so largely used for fu- 

 nerals, weddings and in general floral work. The oldest white one that I 

 knew was President De Graw, imported from France about the same time 

 as La Purite, and introduced to commerce by the late, lamented Charles 

 Zeller, of Flatbush, the original carnation enthusiast of America, whose 

 stock of more than fifty varieties I had the pleasure of inspecting some 

 thirty-five years ago; carnation growing was in its infancy then. They were 

 mostly grown in pots, although they were beginning to be planted by a few 

 growers, mostly in solid beds, and a few on benches, which is now the most 

 popular way of growing. President De Graw had a long run, many years 

 of popularity. Then came Peerless or Edwards, followed by Kinzie's White; 



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