Border Carnations. 29 
seen from a distance by blending into one shade of 
some light colour. The same applies to the heavy 
and wire edged white-ground Picotees, which would 
appear white from a distance. Self yellow Carna- 
tions would undoubtedly be effective, if vigorous and 
free flowering; and the lighter streaked and edged 
yellow-grounds would be slightly less decided. <A 
pleasing picture may be produced with any or all 
of these, however, by those desirous of growing 
them. Even some of the tree Carnations have been 
found very serviceable, such as Winter Cheer and 
Uriah Pike. 
The great point in growing border Carnations is 
to select those that are known to give satisfaction 
under the conditions imposed, or which the grower 
has proved in his own experiences. Yellow Carna- 
tions have always been difficult to manage out of 
doors, and this necessarily applies to the yellow- 
ground Picotees and fancy yellow-ground Carna- 
tions. A great advance, however, has been made in 
this section during recent years, and perseverance 
may give us varieties as vigorous in constitution 
and as easily managed as the selfs. Many of those 
we already possess are indeed cultivated with great 
success in the open air. 
The old Malmaison Carnations have been tried 
by many cultivators, but though the plants live 
through the winter in beds and borders, they fail 
to flower satisfactorily. Not only is this trait in their 
disfavour, but the short bursting calyx entirely 
debars them from this mode of culture. 
Our clmate is too liable to fluctuations of 
temperature and moisture for plants of weakly con- 
stitution to pass through the winter, without being 
more or less permanently injured, if not killed out- 
right. A fertile soil tells in their favour during 
summer, but promotes a soft, sappy and luxuriant 
growth, which is ill calculated to pass the winter un- 
scathed. Alternate freezing and thawing are at the 
root of the mischief, and tend to destroy the root 
system in the overmoist and fertile soil. In a wild 
state the Carnation grows on rocks and old castle 
walls where the roots are kept relatively dry in 
winter, but though this could be imitated in gardens, 
the results would be gratifying neither to the 
amateur nor professional who desires large double 
flowers and plenty of them. | Under these circum- 
stances it is evident that rigid selection must be the 
