CULTURE OF THE CARNATION. 165 



Of the other white sorts, none flower abundantly enough 

 to make them profitable, except Lady Hume, which, how- 

 ever, is tinged with blush. It is somewhat singular that 

 though the Camellia has been extensively cultivated for 

 thirty years, we have no white varieties originating 

 in all that time that have equalled these four sorts in 

 their peculiar qualities. Of colored sorts we have some 

 hundreds ; prominent among them and of different styles 

 of marking and color, are Imbricata, crimson and white, 

 Landrethii, bright rose; Benneyii, crimson striped white; 

 Wilderii, scarlet crimson; Sacco Nora, pink marbled 

 rose ; Downing, deep carmine blotched white ; Duchess 

 of Orleans, striped pink and white; Conspersa, carmine 

 striped ; Reine des Fleurs, dark crimson. 



In market the value of the flowers and even plants of 

 the white sorts is double that of the colored. The average 

 wholesale price of White Camellia flowers in New York 

 from December to April may be $15 per 100; colored 

 sorts do not bring half that price, and are in little demand. 



CARNATIONS. 



In the first edition we named the Carnation as next in 

 value to the Camellia as a winter-flowering plant, but 

 since then the Rose has become the leading flower, even 

 surpassing the Camellia in popularity. The Carnation is 

 still grown by us in very large quantities. 



The cultivation of the Carnation is very simple. It is 

 rooted from cuttings at any time from October to April, 

 and as the plant is almost hardy, it may be planted out 

 with safety in the open ground in early spring as soon as 

 cabbage, lettuce, or any other plant of that nature. Many, 

 for want of this knowledge, keep Carnations in the green- 

 house or pits until such time as tender plants are set out 

 in May, thereby not only having the useless trouble of 

 taking care of them, but depriving them of six weeks of a 

 season well adap'.ed to their growth. 



