668 



CARNATION 



CARNATION 



duce fine singles, of simple form and strong fragrance, 

 although more than half of any sowing from improved 

 seed may produce various degrees of double bloom. 

 Riviera Market and others bloom in autumn from 

 spring-sown seeds. The culture of the hardy or flower- 

 f . garden carnations is 



- /I / 7 very simple. Their 

 profusion of sum- 

 mer bloom makes 

 them desirable. 



ThePicotee class 

 (Fig. 804) is little 

 known in this coun- 

 try. It is a hardy 

 perennial in Eng- 

 land, and the fine 

 strains are often 



Eropagated by 

 tyers (Fig. 809). 

 They also do well 

 from seeds, bloom- 

 ing freely the 

 second year. 



The Malmaison 

 strain, which was 

 the leading carna- 

 tion in England 

 before the advent 

 of the Perpetual- 

 flowering strain, 

 has been found of 

 little value in this 

 country . On ac- 

 count of its large 

 size it was used to 

 some extent for 

 breeding purposes, 

 but with unsatis- 

 factory results. 



The border car- 

 nation is a more 

 condensed and 

 bushy plant than 

 the long-stemmed 

 few-flowered plant 

 seen in the Ameri- 

 can greenhouses, 

 although there are 

 different families or 

 groups of them as 

 there are of phlox 

 or snapdragons. 

 Some forms are 

 dwarf and some 

 tall-growing. 



American methods of culture for indoor bloom. 



The modern method of propagating the carnation for 

 commercial growing is by means of cuttings which are 

 taken from either the blooming stock or from plants that 

 are grown for cuttings alone. The old method of layer- 

 ing (Fig. 809) would prove too slow in increasing stock 

 for present-day needs. Millions of cuttings are rooted 

 each season for planting the houses for blooming pur- 

 poses. So much depends on the quality of the cuttings 

 in keeping up the vitality in the stock that expert 

 growers have learned to discriminate in their selection. 

 The best cuttings, if taken from the blooming stock, 

 are those from near the middle of the flower-stems 

 (Fig. 810). These will not only show greater vitality 

 than those taken higher up or lower, but they will 

 prove more floriferpus The tip cuttings are likely to 

 give a flower-bud immediately and, if this is pinched 

 out, develop into a weak plant. Those taken from the 

 base develop a large spreading growth known as 

 "grassy." The cuttings are severed by an outward pull 



807. Carnation, 



Little Gem. 

 A striped flower. 



and are afterward trimmed of all surplus foliage before 

 being inserted in the propagating sand. Have a sharp 

 knife with which to trim and a pail of fresh water into 

 which to throw the cuttings as they are trimmed. 

 Make a smooth cut at the base, near the joint, so that 

 the lower pair of leaves will peel off readily, leaving a 

 half-inch of clear stem to go into the sand. Shorten 

 those leaves which turn outward, leaving those which 

 stand fairly upright. The removal of part of the foliage 

 is to avoid crowding in the bench and also to prevent 

 flagging while the cutting is giving off more moisture 

 through its leaves than it is taking up through the stem. 

 The cuttings are inserted in the sand about %inch deep 

 in rows across the bench, placing the cuttings about 

 %inch apart in the row and the rows about 2}/z inches 

 apart, according to the size of the cuttings. Use a putty 

 knife for making the cut in the sand. The sand is kept 

 constantly moist and the cuttings are protected from 

 both the sun and drafts by means of muslin curtains. 

 Frequent spraying should be avoided, though it must 

 be resorted to at times to prevent flagging on warm 

 windy days. The most favorable conditions for propa- 

 gating are usually secured during the months of Decem- 

 ber, January, February and early March. During that 

 period, ventilation is limited and a fairly even bottom- 

 heat is easily maintained. Keep a bottom temperature 

 of about 60, while the overhead temperature should be 

 about 52. Any bench that can be protected from sun 

 and drafts will prove satisfactory. 



The bottom of the bench may be of wood or tile, the 

 latter being preferred on account of more perfect drain- 

 age and a greater retention of warmth. The sand should 

 be 3 inches deep after being packed down by means of a 

 tool made from a 2-inch plank about 6 inches wide and 



808. Flower-garden or outdoor carnation, showing the condensed 

 bushy habit and short flower-stems. 



12 inches long with an inverted V-shaped handle. In 

 about four weeks the cuttings should be ready for pot- 

 ting (Fig. 811). Those that come out of the sand 

 February 15 or earlier should be potted first into 2- 

 inch pots and later on shifted into larger pots as needed. 

 Those potted later may be placed directly into 2^-inch 



