i8 Commercial Gardening 



excellent lines, viz. specializing in high-class strains for the raising of layers, 

 the production of hand-fertilized seeds which are rarely produced in suffi- 

 cient quantity, and that rougher outdoor method of producing layers by the 

 thousand. For the last purpose we strongly recommend the old Crimson 

 Clove, White Clove, Raby Castle, Duchess of Fife, Gloire de Nancy, and 

 Countess of Paris, while of more recently raised sorts Daffodil and Cecilia, 

 yellow; Lady Hermione, salmon; Trojan, white; and Robert Berkeley and 

 Cardinal, scarlet, will take some beating. Half an acre devoted to these 

 flowers in the six first-named varieties would yield a big return, and in 

 suitable land free of wireworm this crop could hardly be surpassed. 

 Layering would be the heaviest item on the expenditure side, which 

 would, however, be well met by the sale of the flowers. [E. H. J.] 



Carnations, Marguerite. A distinct race of annual carnations easily 

 raised from seed sown in heat in February and March, to flower in the 

 open air in July to August. Seed may also be sown in autumn in cold 

 frames when fully ripe, and after pricking out and being protected in winter 

 may be planted out in May for flowering. About 70 to 80 per cent of the 

 flowers come double, and have white, deep-red, rose, and yellow varieties, 

 the petals being finely toothed on the margins. 



Catananche ccerulea. A south European perennial, 2-3 ft. high, with 

 whitish narrow leaves, and light-blue flowers in July and August. The 

 variety alba or bicolor has white flowers marked with blue or rose at the 

 base of the florets. It is easily raised from seeds and by division. C. lutea 

 grows about 1 ft. high and has yellow flowers. 



Centaurea. There are some four hundred kinds of Centaurea, but 

 very few are grown on a large scale. The best known are C. Cyan us, 

 the Cornflower; C. moschata or Amberboa moschata, the Sweet Sultan; 

 and C. suaveolens, the Yellow Sweet Sultan, under which names those 

 plants are dealt with in this work. See pp. 24, 108. 



C. Cineraria (better known as Cineraria maritima) is a popular market 

 plant useful for bedding-out purposes, the variety candidissima being 

 mostly employed. Its beautiful silvery-white and deeply lobed leaves 

 make it particularly attractive. It is almost hardy, and may be raised 

 from seeds sown in spring in gentle heat, or may be increased by cuttings 

 in sandy soil in autumn or spring. Stocky plants are sold in shallow boxes 

 or singly in 3-in. pots, and fetch Is. to 2s. Qd. per dozen, according to the 

 demand. 



C. ragusina is another silvery-leaved Centaurea that may be used and 

 propagated in the same way as C. Cineraria. 



Growers of hardy border flowers stock a few other species of Centaurea, 

 such as dealbata, 2 ft. high, mauve purple; eriophora, 1 ft., yellow; macro- 

 cephala, 3-5 ft., yellow; montana, 3 ft., bright blue; glastifolia, 4 ft., 

 golden yellow; and ruthenica, 3-4 ft., pale yellow. 



Centranthus ruber. This is the Red Valerian or Pretty Betsy of 

 Britain. It flourishes in chalky soils in plenty of sunshine, and is an 

 effective border plant 2-3 ft. high, its dense clusters of crimson-purple 



