PREPACE. 
_+s Oo 
WITH some apprehension of a cudgelling for my audacity from 
the specialists, I wrote, a few years ago, a little book about 
Roses. As much to my relief as my pleasure, it was received 
with equal favour by the experts and by the amateurs. 
In these happy circumstances I have ventured to take up the 
sister flower, the Carnation, and to deal with it on the same 
plain, pictorial, practical lines. 
My qualifications for the task are not those of the successful 
exhibitor—the most I can claim is to have grown a small collection 
for several years in my Kentish garden; to have been in touch 
with the specialists (and particularly with the all-important work 
of Mr. Martin R. Smith) during that time; to have learned much 
of the wants and troubles of amateurs, and to have had some 
little experience in putting gardening books together. Perhaps 
these things will compensate for the absence of cups and medals. 
I hope so. 
There is no Carnation book in existence in the least like this 
one. An endeavour has been made in it to practically illustrate 
every Important cultural item in every class of Carnations and 
Picotees worth growing. 
The book is not meant for ornament, but for use. I trust its 
merits may be measured by what it tries to do, and not by what 
it tries to leave undone. 
WaLTER P. Wricat. 
March, 1906. 
