106 Select Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. 
Caryophylleae can only be perpetuated by cuttings, 
layers or divisions; and that if raised from seeds 
the hybrid characters soon become dissociated or 
separated and liable to be lost. Plants of weak 
habit like the China Pink would not have their seeds 
gathered but left to perish in the beds. 
Character and Uses. 
A beautiful and useful Carnation, hke any other 
flower having similar valuable properties, requires 
no recommendation to insure its cultivation; but if 
a plea might be put forward on behalf of the 
Marguerite Carnation, one might point to its easy 
cultivation, dwarf compact early flowering habit, 
profusion of blossom, decided and agreeable frag- 
rance, variety of colours and its- suitability for 
garden decoration in the open, or as a pot plant for 
the embellishment of the greenhouse and conser- 
vatory at various periods, but particularly in autumn 
and winter. 
The whole race may be treated as an annual or 
biennial according to the time the flowers are 
wanted, for it does not seem capable of giving satis- 
faction after having expended its energies in 
flowering, and less so after having perfected seeds. 
This may be due to the system of perpetuating it 
from seed from its origin to the present time rather 
than to hvbridism, even if that could be satisfactorily 
proved. Border and show Carnations as well as 
Picotees produce a greater profusion of flowers the 
first time from seed than when subseauently pro- 
pagated from layers or cuttings. Seedling Carna- 
tions produce a great number of crowns, most of 
which are inclined to run up for bloom, leavi ing little 
or no grass for propagation. | Many of the fine 
named old varieties of the florist have this defect, 
and only the more recent border varieties, belonging 
to various sections, originating within the last 16 
years, have redeemed the Carnation from its bad 
name in this respect. The Old Clove is, of course, 
a notable exception, for it usually produces plenty of 
grass in most parts of Britain. The trait of pro- 
ducing flowerless shoots for propagation has been 
ignored in the Marguerite, so that we cannot be sur- 
prised at its lack of longevity. 
The precocious or early flowering tendency of the 
Marguerite is one of its greatest recommendations, 
and this can readily be perpetuated and even 
