250 



CARNATION 



CARNATION 



ous, but not constant bloomers, never seeding. The 

 stems are strong and straight. Usually propagated by 

 cuttings or layers. 



Caniationy Victoria. — A group of varieties under this 

 name originated with M. Benary, Erfurt, Germany, in 

 1879 (Revue Horticole. 1890), probably descendants 

 from Souvenir de la Malmaison, which it closely re- 

 sembles, but of greater merit because of a firmer calyx. 

 All the colors of Carnations are represented; petals are 

 large, finely fringed. The plant is dwarf, not remontant. 

 Propagated by layers or cuttings. The members of this 

 group, as of the preceding, have not received much 

 attention in this country. 



Carnation, Marguerite (Fig. 371). — A comparatively 

 new class of Carnations. Origin not definitely known; 

 supposed to have been in somewhat obscure cultivation 

 in Italy and Algeria a very long time. The plants are 

 generally raised from seed, and blossom in about four 

 months. A very large majority of flowers come double 

 or semi-double, strongly clove-scented, deeply fringed ; 

 color red, pink or white. The plant is dwarf, 10-15 

 inches high, compact, erect, branching. It is a constant 

 bloomer, but in quality the flowers are far inferior to 

 the Perpetual-flowering Carnation. The Marguerite 

 Carnations are highly prized for massing in summer 

 beds, and are treated as annuals. George C. Butz. 



Commercial Carnation Culture. — Carnation cul- 

 ture can be divided into three parts or periods — propa- 

 gation of the young plants during the winter and early 

 spring months ; the summer culture, generally carried 

 on in the field or garden, for the growing of the young 

 plants to a stage of maturity suitable for the transfer 

 to the houses in the fall ; and the winter or house cul- 

 ture, which is often prolonged through spring and early 

 summer, depending on the condition of plants and va- 

 riety. Of late, experiments have been made with summer 

 culture under glass, a subject which is treated below. 



To make the mode of cultivation more comprehensi- 

 ble, it will be well to speak first of the habit of the Car- 

 nation in general, for there is a great difference in 

 growth and blooming of the different varieties, without 

 making one variety or the other less profitable. Al- 

 though the same treatment may be applied, a slight 

 deviation from general rules may often be practical and 

 more fitting to certain varieties. We find among our 

 present varieties some with a more spreading, straggling 

 growth, as Daybreak, while others grow more compact, 

 as Jubilee. We find early and late bloomers ; some 

 that are continuous bloomers, as Mrs. Geo. M. Bradt, 

 and others that show a tendency to "crop", while with 

 some varieties the coming-off crop and the new coming- 

 in are so linked together that it will only be noticed by a 

 less quantity and smaller flowers, as in White Cloud; 

 with others it is so marked that often an interval of from 

 four to six weeks, or an entire cessation of blooming, 

 will take place, as in Bridesmaid. In the aggregate, 

 the continuous bloomer and the cropper may furnish 

 the same number of flowers through the season, and, 

 under circumstances, one may be as profitable as the 

 other. 



Propagation can be carried on from January to May. 

 Early propagation is preferable, as often in April warm 

 weather will interfere with good results. When the 

 plants are expected to commence to bloom early in fall 



and furnish a good quality of blooms, early propagation 

 is a necessity. Late-blooming varieties, when propa- 

 gated early, advance their time for blooming consider- 

 ably. Late-propagated plants may have to be trans- 

 ferred from the propagating bed to the field at a time 

 when the hot weather will prove very severe on the 

 little plants ; they are deprived of the advancing spring 

 growth, and consequently make little headway through 

 the hot summer months, but will make good plants for 

 late blooming, or, when not allowed to bloom, will fur- 

 nish excellent cuttings for early propagation. 



Any young shoots not advanced into bud formation, 

 but seeming to be capable of producing a good flower in 

 time, will, as a cutting, make a good plant. If the bud 

 has commenced to form, even only to half the size 

 of a pinhead, it is bound to develop ; it retards root 

 formation, and when eventually roots are formed, all 

 the nourishment taken up is used to mature that bud. 

 Such cuttings, doubtful at their taking, but which will in 

 time develop a flower-bud, are not to be necessarily 

 classed as bad cuttings if, at the first symptoms, the 

 bud is removed ; when left to develop it may still make 

 a plant after a lapse of two or three months, but time is 

 lost. In general, the strongest and best cuttings are 

 found at the base of the flower-stem; those that appear 

 upon the flower stem are of an inferior quality, -and will in 

 time show symptoms of degeneration; the same will be 

 the case when taken from exhausted blooming plants. 

 For this reason the late-propagated plants, whose growth 

 has been made through the late fall months, and where 

 the flower stems are removed as fast as they appear, 

 and the whole strength thrown into the young shoots 

 appearing below the break, will furnish the best cut- 

 tings. The plant is in quite a different stage of growth 

 when producing new shoots, and when young shoots — 

 cuttings — are produced only in connection with the ma- 

 turing of flowers. This will lead to the conclusion that to 

 produce the best cuttings, a separation of the culture for 

 flowers and the culture for cuttings is the best solution. 

 A cutting should have an average length of 4 inches, 

 with at least 1-inch clean stem. When taken off close from 

 the branch or stem out of the axil of a leaf, no further 

 trimming of the heel is necessary except an occasional 

 removing of some wood fibers that may adhere from the 

 break. When the shoot is too long and demands a cut 

 with the knife, the cut should be made at or right above 

 a joint, so that the two leaves can be peeled ofif and leave 

 a clean heel. If cut too high above a joint, the stem gets 

 too hard; if below, the bark will be peeled off with the 

 leaves, and gives occasion to rot. Leaves should be re- 

 moved as far as the cutting is inserted in the sand, 

 and the top of the leaves shortened, so as not to give too 

 much surface to evaporation. 



The propagating bed should be filled with 3 inches of 

 clean, sharp sand, not too coarse, and well packed. 

 When the cuttings are to be inserted, a line should be 

 drawn with a knife to the required depth of about 1 

 inch, the cutting inserted and the sand pressed on. A 

 tile or brick bottom in the propagating bed is much su- 

 perior to a common wooden bottom ; it assures better 

 drainage and less danger of fungus. The utmost clean- 

 liness should be observed in a propagating house, and 

 no decaying matter be allowed to lie around. Water is 

 needed every two or three days when the bench has 

 good drainage. The house should be shaded either from 

 the outside with a whitewash of white lead and 

 coal oil, or on the inside with a light white mus- 

 lin. Ventilation is advisable whenever the 

 temperature comes near to 60°; general tem- 

 perature 55°, and all available means should be 

 employed to keep it at that point. Day tem- 

 perature may be two or three degrees above, 

 and night temperature as much below. 



Average time to root Carnation cuttings is 

 four weeks, and depends much on the variety. 

 Mary Wood ma.yroot in two weeks, while it may 

 take six weeks to root Mrs. Geo. M. Bradt. In 

 a higher temperature, cuttings will root more 

 quickly, but it is not advisable, as it increases 

 the danger of cutting-bench fungus and soft- 

 ens the young plants. 



As soon as rooted, transplant into a light soil 

 enriched with well decomposed 



