116 Select Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. 
million Carnation plants are grown; and these are 
calculated to produce about 100,000,000 blooms, 
which are sold in the markets of the United States 
and Canada. Well grown Carnations should sell at 
prices between 2s. Id. and 4s. 2d. per dozen retail. 
They are sometimes sold considerably under these 
prices, as a result of competition to draw the buyers. 
Fancy prices are occasionally obtained for specially 
fine flowers, it may be of some new variety of attrac- 
tive colour. 
Propagation. 
One of the most engrossing phases of Carnation 
growing is the production of new varieties by cross- 
breeding, seed sowing, and waiting for the result of 
these operations. \ nile new varieties are annually 
raised in such numbers in America and _ plants 
brought to our shores in a few days, home growers 
may scarcely think it worth the trouble, time and 
space necessary to produce seedlings in_ sufficient 
numbers to constitute a fair field for the selection of 
new and improved varieties. To those having the 
leisure and the means, however, there is a most in- 
teresting hobby and possibly something to be 
gained. The size and colour of American Carna- 
tions are splendid, but there is still room for refine- 
ment; and the spicy Clove scent might yet be con- 
siderably augmented by varieties possessing it in 
a more marked degree in winter than those already 
in existence. 
The operation of  cross-breeding American 
varieties is identical with that of border Carnations, 
but the conditions imposed by pot culture in winter 
would more nearly co-ordinate the operation with 
that of tree Carnations. 
After fertilisation has been effected the seed pods 
of this race take six to eight or even ten weeks to 
swell up and ripen. Maturity is indicated by the 
apex of the pod turning brown and shrivelling. They 
should then be gathered with a short piece of stem 
and laid in earthenware saucers or in shallow boxes 
to ripen and thoroughly part with their moisture. 
After this the seeds may be rubbed out and cleaned 
from all extraneous matter preparatory to sowing or 
storing till the desired time. The packets in which 
the seeds are kept should be numbered and a record 
of the same made in a book, giving particulars of 
the parentage and the time of gathering. 
The operation of fertilising the flowers may be 
