84 Select Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. 
greatly elongated internodes, a scattered clothing of 
toliage, and a poor display of blossom. The late 
Charles Turner applied himself to the work, with 
' more enthusiasm, perhaps, than any other of those 
days, and succeeded to a remarkable degree in 
evolving a race of more compact and bushy habit, 
with finer and more handsome flowers. 
Immense improvements have been made within 
the last decade and a half, for the varieties then held 
in highest esteem have mostly been displaced by 
others of more recent origin. The numbers have 
been greatly increased and the size and quality of 
the blooms, and productiveness of the plants have all 
been profoundly modifed and improved. Raisers 
and cultivators are now much more numerous, and 
as a result of their work the variation in colour has 
been greatly extended. 
Propagation. 
Tree Carnations may be propagated at any time 
of the year by means of cuttings or pipings, when 
obtainable of a suitable degree of maturity. In 
practice, the months of January, February, and 
March constitute the best time to accomplish this 
work. Different cultivators advocate one or other 
of these months, but it is largely a matter of 
customs, convenience, or requirement. Fairly strong 
cuttings about 3in. long may be selected and pulled 
off with the fingers or cut with a sharp knife, makin 
a point in each case of securing a small heel of the 
old wood which should be shghtly trimmed if in any 
way ragged. Pipings may also be pulled out of the 
axils of the leaves, laying hold of them with the 
finger and thumb and giving them a slight jerk side- 
ways. Remove a pair or two of the lower leaves, 
and the cutting will be ready for insertion. (See 
illustration). 
The cuttings may be inserted singly in thumb 
pots or preferably ten round the sides of a 60 size 
pot. Use a compost of loam and leaf mould in 
equal proportions and half a part of sand. Sift the 
ingredients through a fine meshed sieve and 
thoroughly mix the compost. Carefully crock the 
pots and cover the drainage with moss or the rough 
siftings of the soil. Press the compost rather firmly 
and cover it with a layer of sharp silver sand, a little 
of which should be worked into the holes made for 
the cuttings. As soon as a small heap of cuttings 
