p A c I F r c 'r R !•: K a n n v i n i-; 



is danger of destroying the nitrify- 

 ing bacteria which fertile soils 

 should contain. At all events, to 

 prevent disease is belter thnn to 

 eradicate it. 



The carnation is multiplied by 

 means of ciUtings taken in the fall 

 or winter. When the increase of 

 stock is undertaken, it goes witii- 

 out saying that only the best cut- 

 tings should be taken and those 

 from the most healthy plants. It is 

 understood that nearly all ])lants 

 may be improved by selection, and 

 carnations are no exception to the 

 rule. The aim should be to secure 

 quality before quantity. 



It would hardly be advisable to 

 close these notes without referring 

 to varieties, and yet what is the 

 very best in a given color this year 

 may be completely eclipsed next 

 year. Varieties come and go. 

 Keep up with the times. The Mrs. 

 Thomas W. Lawson, the ceiise- 

 colored variety which was adver- 

 tised so extensively a few years ago, 

 has proved to be a sterling variety. 

 Among scarlets, G. H. Grane is 

 very good, but it will soon be rele- 

 gated when Adonis and some other 

 excellent ones in the same line of 

 color are dis.seminated. In the 

 crimson class, General Maceo is a 

 free bloomer, but Governor Roose- 

 velt is a better flower, and President 

 Roosevelt, in the same color-class, 

 is still better; but according to re- 

 ports that we read, Harlowarden is 

 superior to them all. In whites 

 there are White Cloud, Lorna and 

 a few others, and now Lillian Pond 

 is expected to supersede these good 

 white ones. In light pink varities 

 there are Cre.-sbrook and Genevieve 

 Lord; but Enchantress is head and 

 shoulders above either of those 

 mentioned, and the latest informa- 

 tion is that Fiancee is equal if not 

 superior even to Enchantress. So 

 every year the list changes. In the 

 new lists are some poor ones some- 

 times, but, on the whole, each year 

 sees an advance. In this way the 

 carnation-grower makes progress 

 ^nd leaves old ideals behind. Com- 



pare the carnations of today with 

 those of twenty years ago. 



We must always be lenient to- 

 ward novelties, because they some- 

 times fail to do themselves justice 

 the first year after being distribut- 

 ed. It is always best to give new 

 varieties that are known to possess 

 promising qualities a second year's 

 trial, and fre(|uently a third It 

 has been found tiiat a seedling does 

 not always do well the first year 

 away from the place in which it was 

 raised from seed; and again some 

 varieties have done better. During 

 the present year three novelties 

 which have been honored by awards 

 of merit have developed faults 

 which their respective owners be- 

 lieve are so seriou.s that they will 

 not be disseminated, an honesty 

 that is to be much commended. 



Raising carnations from seeds is 

 just now a popular practice. By 

 this means new varieties are .se- 

 cured. The results are sooner 

 known, — whether anything of va- 

 lue has been secured, — than is the 

 case in the raising of roses from 

 seed. The producer of a seedling 

 that is an improvement over exist- 

 ing varieties in its line of color has 

 the privilege of giving a distinctive 

 name. The family name of the 

 President of the United States has 

 furnished names for several varie- 

 ties. I recall four, and there may 

 be more. The Mrs. Theodore 

 Roosevelt is a brilliant shade of 

 cerise; Miss Alice Roosevelt is a 

 delicate pink; Governor Roosevelt 

 is crimson, President Roosevelt is 

 similar in color to Governor Roose- 

 velt, but is believed to be an im- 

 provement on the older variety. 

 Loyal growers evidently desire to 

 do honor to the name of the Presi- 

 dent. 



Sowetimesuew varieties originate 

 as "sports," — or by "bud-varia- 

 tions," as they are known to scien- 

 tists. A bud-variation is a sudden 

 appearing of a new form or color in 

 a single plant. Thus Daybieak, a 

 well-known delicate flesh tent, has 

 sported into a delicate pink with 



dash of blue in its composition, 

 giving it a rose tint. 



When the plants are done bloom- 

 ing in the spring, they are thrown 

 away. New virgin plants are much 

 better and no florist keeps the old 

 one over. Usually the amateur 

 would better buy his plants late in 

 summer than attempt to grow them. 

 Plant them ten to twelve inches 

 apart in good soil on your green- 

 house benches; give good care; pick 

 off" the diseased leaves; fumigate 

 for the greenfly: then gather the 

 flowers. 



The Farley Fern 



That this lovely fern should have 

 many devoted admirers is by no 

 means surprising, but unfortunately 

 the "yueen of the Maidenhairs," 

 as Adiautum Farleyense has been 

 termed, is somewhat exacting in 

 regard to cultural conditions, and 

 in consequence is not an unqualified 

 success in the average window- 

 garden. It is not so much from 

 lack of heat in a dwelling that this 

 fern is likely to suffer, the temper- 

 ature needed being not more than 

 65 to 70 degrees, but the delicately 

 beautiful foliage of the maidenhairs 

 is very susceptible to injury from 

 dry air and dust, two ever-present 

 evils in a furnace heated house. 



There are also two other condi- 

 tions to be especially avoided — dry- 

 ness at the roots and cold draughts. 

 To prevent the plant from drying 

 out too rapidly it is a good plan to 

 place the fern pot in another pot or 

 jardiniere a size or two larger and 

 then to pack the space between the 

 pots with damp moss, being careful 

 to avoid the accumulation of water 

 in the bottom of the jardiniere. 

 There are also miniature green- 

 houses made for the window-gar- 

 den, and with such a contrivance 

 the double pot is unnecessary. But 

 if the fern must be exposed to the 

 atmosphere of the dwelling then a 

 dip in tepid water twice a week 

 will remove much of the dust from 

 the foliage and refresh the plant 

 materiallv. 



