CARNATION-BREEDING IN AMERICA. 429 
culture gives flowers ranging from 2} to a little over 4 inches in diameter 
on stems from 2 to 3 feet in length, according to the season ; and these 
flowers are produced in sufficient abundance to make the variety very 
profitable commercially. It is also a fairly early bloomer, coming into 
flower by October 1. This variety was obtained by crossing ‘ Prosperity,’ 
a large-flowered, not very free variety, with a white seedling having a very 
large flower and long stems, and quite a free bloomer. 
Mr. Peter Fisher, the raiser of ‘The Lawson’ and ‘ Enchantress,’ two 
of the most satisfactory of our American commercial varieties, secured his 
strain from crosses between ‘ Daybreak’ and a sport of ‘ Tidal Wave,’ two 
quite large-flowered very free-blooming as well as early varieties. In 
‘The Lawson ’ a curious blending of the qualities of both parents may be 
observed. ‘ Daybreak’ is a long-stemmed variety, ‘Tidal Wave’ usually 
has quite short stems, or at least distinctly below the average in length. 
‘The Lawson’ has quite short stems in the early part of the season, but 
as the season advances they become as long as those of the parent 
‘ Daybreak.’ Double flowers may be produced by crossing single blooms 
with pollen from very double ones, and the more double the pollen parent 
is, the greater seems to be the proportion of double-flowering seedlings 
produced. 
Among seedlings from hybrids we sometimes meet with what might be 
called “‘ seed-sports,”’ such as a light pink or flesh colour, usually marked 
with crimson edges or stripes like those which are now and then produced 
from crossing varieties with comparatively pure crimson pedigrees for 
several generations. 
CoMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE OF THE AMERICAN CARNATION. 
The commercial value of the carnations grown in America has risen to 
such a volume that carnation-growing may be considered one of the 
substantial professions, the annual value of the American product being 
upwards of one million pounds sterling, including the sales of both flowers 
and plants ; and the capital invested may possibly amount to upwards of 
five millions of pounds sterling if the value of real estate and buildings 
deyoted to the business be considered. 
The recent great improvement in the American winter-blooming 
carnation has resulted in placing upon regular sale blooms of such 
remarkable size, and of length and strength of stem, as to create an 
immense demand and a marked advance in the price of the blooms, which 
seems in a measure to keep pace with the increasing demand. ‘Twelve or 
fifteen years ago fifty cents to one and two dollars a dozen was considered 
average or even high retail price, but nowadays one to three dollars a 
dozen can easily be obtained, and frequently five to six dollars, sometimes 
eight, and in rare instances even ten dollars a dozen is secured, for some 
extra fine or rare variety. 
Apart from its commercial importance, there is a sentimental side to 
carnation-growing. The production of new hybrids which are distinct 
improvements upon existing varieties is always a pleasure, and serves to 
keep one thoroughly interested in the divine flower, and amply repays the 
close application necessary to produce practical improvements. 
