203 ON RAISING seedling carnations and picotees. 



directions, obtain ample amusement and an abundant repayment for 

 his time and trouble, in the production of many valuable and mag- 

 nificent new flowers. 



It is true that nearly all the blossoms of Double Carnations, if 

 unaided by the hand of the gardener, will be unproductive of seed, but 

 they are in very many cases capable of being made fertile. The 

 organs of reproduction are in almost every instance fully developed ; 

 from the crowded state of the petals the operations of nature for pro- 

 duction are defeated. 



Every gardener and florist should know that plants are analogous 

 to animals in their power of multiplying their kind, and require the 

 co-operation of the sexes. In the Carnation, though ever so double, 

 the male part of the flower or stamen is generally found, as is also 

 the pistil of the female portion, together with the ovary, containing 

 the embryo seeds, which may be observed by examining the blossoms 

 of any double Carnations. The sexual distinctions are most easily 

 distinguished. The florist, to be successful in obtaining seed, has but 

 to imitate nature, and by rendering his double flower as similar as 

 possible to the single one facilitate her operations. This is done by 

 extracting with a double-pointed scissors the supernumerary petals, 

 leaving only the outer guard-leaves, taking care, however, not to injure 

 the stamens or ovarium. This should be done before the anthers 

 burst and shed their pollen, in order that the petals may not prevent 

 its falling on and being received by the stigmas, which is the usual 

 cause of abortion in the double blossoms of the Carnation ; or the 

 florist, if he pleases, may cut away the stamens, and apply the pollen 

 of some other admired variety to the stigmas of the flower thus de- 

 prived of its male organs, and so fertilize the embryo seed, which is 

 the most advantageous way of proceeding, as the variety among the 

 seedling plants will be more marked and beautiful; and curious to 

 say, more like the father plant, or that from which the fertilizing 

 pollen was taken, than the mother parent, or that which produced the 

 seed. Semi-double flowers are more easily managed this way, and 

 may be made fruitful with the pollen of your best double flowers. 

 The production of flowers is often effected through the instrumentality 

 of bees and other insects, when collecting either honey or pollen from 

 the flowers ; in such cases the seed is frequently lost by neglecting to 

 protect the blossoms from too much wet, and to extract the decaying 



