CHAPTER XV 



SELECTION OF VARIETIES OF PERPETUAL- 

 FLOWERING CARNATIONS 



I HAVE before me a long list of Perpetual-Flowering Car- 

 nations I grew only six years ago ; but so rapid has been 

 the improvement on the varieties grown at that time, that 

 they have been discarded with two or three exceptions. 

 At the same time, this is not all due to the improvement 

 in recent introductions. Varieties of most flowers and the 

 Carnation is no exception deteriorate in course of time, 

 and such sorts as the once popular Duchess of Devon- 

 shire, Winter Cheer, and Madame Franco are now seldom 

 to be seen. Yet these in their best days, although lacking 

 in length of stem and size of flower, were admirable in 

 every other respect, and true Perpetual- Flowering Car- 

 nations. I append a select list of varieties, with their 

 colours, the letters attached being the key to the time 

 of the last stopping of those varieties which I have 

 cultivated. A little allowance should be made for the 

 state of the weather at the time of stopping. If it is 

 wet, stop early ; if very dry, let the stopping be done at 

 a later date. 



