THE BORDER CARNATION 15 



Duchess of Fife is a very nice flower, of a delightful 

 pink, but it has a weak stem. Belladonna has a large 

 red flower, but is rather inclined for this reason to 

 burst. Hayes Scarlet is very good. Of the heliotrope- 

 coloured flowers I consider Garvel Gem to be the best. 

 Many of the fancy and yellow-ground Carnations can 

 be grown successfully in the open, and Tenella is one 

 that I find does well. Raby Castle, so well known, is 

 a good hardy salmon-pink, most useful for cutting, 

 but it bursts rather badly ; and I must not forget the 

 Old Clove and Uriah Pike, both dark crimson ; although 

 the latter is strictly a Tree Carnation, it nevertheless 

 does well as a border plant. It is a great mistake to 

 grow too many varieties, one or two of each colour 

 being, I think, sufficient, except of course for the 

 purpose of trial. 



HYBRIDISING IN THE OPEN 



I will first say a few words about this. Carnations 

 can be hybridised in the open, although results are 

 more certain with plants under glass ; so if you wish 

 to try hybridising amongst the border plants, do not 

 expect too much, as in an unfavourable season and a 

 late district it is almost impossible to ripen the seed. 

 If, however, the seed-pods do ripen, the seed will be 

 as good or better than that produced under glass, 

 as the conditions under which it is ripened are more 

 natural. 



The first thing will be to decide upon the varieties 

 to use, and endeavour to select as seed-parents only 



