SELECTIONS. 143 
Chapter Xi.—Selections of Varieties. 
PERPLEXITY waits upon the amateur who undertakes the task of 
choosing a small collection of Carnations and Picotees from the 
catalogues. Long columns of names stretch before him, most of 
them unfamiliar. Here and there one strikes his eye which he thinks 
that he has admired somewhere ; his fingers search for his pencil to 
mark it, and then doubt assails him —it was another name after all. 
Perhaps he recalls a visit to a show, and some names jotted down 
into a notebook. Where is that book? Not in his pocket, of 
course ; not in the drawer where it ought to be. There is an eager’ 
search. Joy! It is found. And then, with the names before him, 
he realises that it is garden varieties he wants, and someone has told 
him (or he has read it) that the exhibition varieties are not reliable 
out of doors. 
But, after all, is the average professional in much better case? 
Is he a reliable adviser? Does he keep himself up to date? It has 
to be remembered that florists’ flowers are so highly specialised 
in these days, and novelties are introduced in such numbers every 
year, that one needs the brain and purse of a Chancellor of the 
Exchequer to cope with the latest developments of all the popular 
plants. It is safe to say that there are many horticulturists to 
whom W. P. Milner is still the best white Carnation, and Pride of 
Penshurst the best yellow. And these people would be very deeply 
offended if you smiled at their ignorance. Have they not been 
gardening for forty years, and so forth ? 
There are grades even among specialists. No. 1 admits the soft 
impeachment of being a Carnation lover, displays with pride a well- 
grown collection of plants, and, when asked for a selection, names 
varieties which prove to have an average age of eight or ten years. 
No. 2 receives you in the same brotherly spirit, but pooh-poohs the 
list in your notebook, and suggests a series of alterations, which 
seem highly satisfactory until you encounter No. 3, who (being per- 
chance one of the very foremost band of introducers) is able to show 
you still further improvements—nay, even sorts which are not yet in 
the catalogues. 
All this has its element of humour; but it is baffling to the 
beginner, who is quite likely to finish up a round of inquiries in 
a state of bewilderment as complete as that of a youth who tries to 
choose a machine at a great bicycle show. 
Let us see if we can give any assistance in the task of choosing 
sorts, taking one section at a time. 
