12 THE BOOK OF THE CARNATION 



divided into two distinct sections, the plants in which 

 differed from each other in habit of growth and in cultural 

 requirements, but alike in the remarkable range of colours 

 embraced in each. Peacham remarks that new varieties 

 were introduced from Italy, but Gerard's declaration that 

 " every clymate and countrey bringeth forth new sortes " 

 is no doubt more consistent with fact. There is evidence 

 showing two distinct types to have been early in cultiva- 

 tion in South- Western France, and in Silesia yellow- and 

 apricot-coloured Carnations were so common that Clusius 

 mentions them being sold in the market of Vienna. 

 This type of Carnation exercised a powerful effect on 

 Carnation-culture in England. Previous to its introduc- 

 tion there had existed the greatest difficulty in securing 

 seeds off English-grown plants ; but these, what we 

 would now call yellow grounds, proved prolific seed- 

 producers, and at the time John Parkinson wrote his 

 "Garden of Pleasant Flowers " in 1629, English-raised 

 varieties were fairly numerous. Parkinson was the first 

 to attempt a rough classification of the plant, calling those 

 with large flowers and, be it remembered, some were 

 as large as expanded damask roses Carnations ; the 

 smaller and commoner varieties, Gilliflowers ; the third 

 section being the " Orange Tawnies," or yellow section. 

 At the time Rea wrote his " Florilege," 1665, the 

 taste in Carnations had undergone a marked change, the 

 old varieties having given place to sorts imported from 

 Holland and Flanders, and which produced flowers some- 

 what like our Malmaisons. Rea names three sections, 

 red and white, purple and white, and scarlet and white, 

 the flowers in each being " well-striped, flaked, marbled, 

 or powdered." These were cultivated in pots and pro- 

 tected during winter, while the commoner sorts were 

 grown altogether in the open, " set on banks or beds." 



In 1683, Rea's son-in-law, Samuel Gilbert, published 

 " The Florist's Vade-Mecum," in which is recorded 



