168 THE CARNATION MANUAL. 



beautiful flowers in a most beautiful class. Another 

 imjDrovement has, I think, taken place — we are 

 getting more flowers with long pods. For many 

 years there was a great controversy between North 

 and South on this point. The Northerners called 

 many of the Southern flowers — owing to their 

 excessive fulness — "mops," while the Southerners 

 retorted that the Northern flowers were little better 

 than " singles." A compromise seems now to be 

 effected, and the same flowers are equally favourites 

 in both North and South. 



" Border Carnations " is now the cry, and selfs 

 and fancies are very popular. I do not decry the 

 border varieties, for they are very beautiful and 

 very sweet, but I only express the fear that they 

 may lead people to neglect or slight the more 

 refined and delicately marked florists' varieties, 

 for they do not make such a display of bright 

 colours for the mixed border. 



The act of looking back on these reminiscences of 

 bygone days has an element of sadness in it but I 

 cannot forget how many pleasurable days one has 

 enjoyed amongst these favourite flowers, and I can 

 only hope that the present eflbrt may still further 

 tend to extend the cultivation of a flower which has 

 so much to recommend it to all lovers of a oarden. 



