20 THE CARNATION MANUAL. 



Another point of importance is to give the 

 preference to those varieties which experience has 

 proved to be suitable to the soil and climate of 

 the district ; the advice of local growers will cer- 

 tainly be of much assistance in this respect. It 

 is a common saying, " Such and such a plant is 

 a lovely variety, but it does not do with one ; ' 

 and though it may be well that all and every 

 variety of Carnation (which does not burst its 

 calyx) should be tried in the open border, the 

 grower must not be disappointed if he finds that 

 they will not all thrive in Ids garden. Experience 

 alone must be his guide in this matter. 



Again, he should select somewhat dwarf 

 varieties ; they are altogether neater and more 

 effective than tall straggling plants. " Tree " or 

 perpetual flowering Carnations will, most of 

 them, do well enough in the border, but they 

 are out of place there, and the summer flower- 

 ing varieties, with an average growth of from 

 twenty to thirty inches, will be found much 

 more suitable. 



He should also look to it that they be of 

 '• vigorous habit," that is, that they should throw 

 up plenty of strong grass. It is, unfortunately, the 

 case that many of the most beautiful varieties fall 

 sadly short of this requirement, and such should be 

 relegated to the greenhouse. It is unsatisfactory 

 work attempting to grow in the open border plants 



