REMARKS ON CROWING CARNATIONS IN POTS. 35 



sorts flush after they have been in flower for a day or two ; the more 

 general cause of flushing is the confined damp in the stages at night, 

 inducing the flower to imbibe more moisture than they require, which 

 ruptures the vessels, and when the sun rises the colour is diffused by 

 the heat ; this is merely accidental, and does not affect the general 

 character of the flower. The feathered flower is the one I most prefer, 

 which is the feather commencing on the edge of the lower part of the 

 petal at a short distance from the stamina, and continuing quite round 

 to the same distance, on the other side of the petal, being marked 

 deepest on the top ; each petal ought to be alike ; the rest of the ground 

 colour to be quite clear from patches or spots, which would destroy 

 the beauty of the bloom. The flamed flower, in my estimation, 

 should have this feather on either side, and the points touching the 

 feather ; at the same time sufficient of the ground colour must be 

 preserved between the flaming to show it to advantage. The more 

 general character is a flame without any feather ; it forms a star-like 

 appearance, which is very beautiful. In all cases where there is a 

 second colour in the flame, it should be margined by the darker, as it 

 prevents any running taking place. The single stripe up the petal is 

 curious, and many of the other distributions of colour showy, but can 

 scarcely be called perfect. However equally they may be placed — 

 whatever the character may be — there should always be a circle of 

 the ground colour round the stamina ; the stem should be strong 

 enough to keep the flower erect without the aid of a stick ; it should 

 also be elastic, and neither too tall nor short for the size of the flower. 

 January 12, 1844. 



ARTICLE VI. 



REMARKS ON GROWING CARNATIONS IN POTS. 

 A correspondent, in an Article inserted in the Cabinet, and who 

 grows his Carnations andPicotees in the open ground, requested to be 

 furnished with some suggestions with the view to their better protection 

 from the ravages of the earwig, which, at the season of their flowering, 

 as is well known, is very numerous, and not only destructive to the 

 blooms, but equally so to the seed, to which it obtains access just at 

 the period of ripening. To this request no one has yet replied. I 

 shall, therefore, make a few observations upon the subject, and point 



