Propagation by Seed. 13 
than the raising of seedlings, watching their 
growth, the different habits they assume and finally 
the bursting of the buds for the first time. Hope 
may often be defered though there may be sur- 
prises in store, and a glimmering of success in a 
second year’s trial or a second cross from the finest 
of the seedlings raised. The Carnation grower may 
bloom five or six generations of his favourite flower 
by the time a raiser of Tulips has proved his first. 
He is thus enabled to correct previous mistakes at 
rapidly recurrent intervals of time, and to press 
towards his goal with increased experience each 
succeeding year. The incentive to grow a fine 
Carnation of one’s own raising is always greater and 
the pleasure keener than in growing the masterpiece 
of others ; nevertheless the true measure of its worth 
can omly be gauged by growing the others under 
similar conditions for comparison. 
Some few admirers may have a liking for all 
classes of Carnations if they have the convenience 
to grow them and the leisure to attend to their 
requirements ; but those who desire to enter the field 
of raisers should do so after giving the matter care- 
ful consideration on lines which experience of the 
past has demonstrated as the most likely to lead to 
suCCeSS. Crossing Flakes or Bizarres with selfs, 
yellow-ground with white-ground Picotees, or border 
with tree Carnations is not likely to be productive 
of anything but rubbish and waste of time and 
space. Each class is so far removed from another 
that a combination of their respective qualities and 
properties has a neutralising effect, and the off- 
spring can possess neither beauty nor merit. ‘To 
perpetuate any good quality the grower should 
select parents belonging to the same section, and to 
colours that will harmonise when blended. Violent 
contrasts should be avoided, such as scarlet or 
crimson with yellow, scarlet with rose, and purple 
with red. The progeny of a scarlet self and a white 
ground Picotee would almost to a certainty be much 
inferior to either parent. 
It is of the rarest occurrence to get all the qualities 
of a first-class Carnation combined in one and the 
same seedling; but the intelligent experimenter 
should endeavour to combine good colours with com- 
pact habit, vigorous constitution, free flowering pro- 
perties, and blooms that expand regularly without 
bursting the calyx and falling to pieces. The calyx 
