92 



ON THE CARNATION. 



ten good seedlings in a year, fit to take a place in any stand, and which 

 will heat the old varieties into the bargain. The great desiderata in 

 all flowers, whether Carnations or Picotees (of course excluding the 

 yellow), is the unsullied purity of the body colour (if it may be so 

 termed) ; this should be of a pure white, let the class be what it 

 may: for should it be spotted or tinged, however imposing the 

 grandeur of the other colours may be, it is allowed to be a very 

 serious drawback indeed. 



In Bizarres the colours should as much as possible balance, 

 though I am well aware that there is often a great preponderance of 

 one or the other ; still, to see the stripes running parallel to each 

 other, and distributed equally over the flower, is certainly a near 

 approach to perfection, as far as colour goes. 



In Flakes the same proportions are desirable, though some have 

 too much colour, as I am inclined to think is the case sometimes 

 with Addenbrook's Lydia, scarlet flake, whilst the reverse is the case 

 with Hogg's Paddington Beauty, in the Rose class, at least if we 

 have it correct in this neighbourhood. 



As for Picotees, a clearness and decision of marking is requisite, 

 and the fringed or notched petal is now considered a deformity. A 

 smooth edge, or, as it is usually termed, a Rose leaf, with the colour 

 bright and distinct, is required by all connoisseurs of this delicate 

 and much admired class. 



Having said this much of colour, I shall point out 'a few of our 

 leading sorts. First, then, Scarlet Bizarres — Fletcher's Duke of 

 Devonshire, Ely's Jolly Dragoon, Rainforth's Gameboy, Lee's Colonel, 

 Hepworth's Leader, Hufton's Patriarch, and Kinfare's Hero. Crim- 

 son Bizarres — Sorn's Bloomsbury, Greasley's Lord Brougham, Ely's 

 Lord Milton, Cartwright's Rainbow, Toone's Conductor, Ely's Major 

 Goldsworthy, Hufton's Squires Ray and Munday, and Rev. H. Plum- 

 tree. Scarlet Flakes — Madam Mara, Toone's Ringleader, Creswell's 

 Premier, Ely's Lord Morpeth, Fletcher's Beauty of Birmingham, 

 and Wilson's William the Fourth. Rose Flakes — Ely's Lovely Ann, 

 Greasley's Village Maid, Easom's Elizabeth, Malpas's Lady Grey, 

 Clark's Lady Scot, and Hudson's Lady Flora. Purple Flakes — 

 Brabbin's Squire Meynell, Turner's Princess, Milwood's Premier, 

 Ely's Lndy Hewley, Queen of Sheba, Hufton's Blue Ribbon, Pol- 

 lard's First-rater, and Ely's Mango. Red Picotees, light-edged — 



