32 THE BOOK OF THE CARNATION 



The practice of showing Carnations in vases is now 

 becoming general, and the need of tact and judgment 

 is just as essential with these as in the case of single 

 blooms shown on boards. It is a rule that dressing 

 must not be conspicuously apparent or, indeed, apparent 

 at all ; but the fact remains that the exhibitor who 

 prepares his blooms, other things being equal, is the one 

 who will* secure the prize. Without the aid of cards 

 it is possible to add somewhat to the dimensions of any 

 Carnation by a careful arrangement of the petals, and 

 its beauty as a flower is invariably enhanced by the 

 removal of imperfect petals. A most important point 

 is a selection of varieties suitable for exhibiting in this 

 way. Those only that stand boldly up should be chosen, 

 and those that droop rigidly excluded. Sometimes, too, 

 foliage is overdone. Anything that detracts the attention 

 of the judges from the flowers is to be deprecated, and 

 superabundant foliage undoubtedly has that effect. A 

 little is indeed useful in helping to preserve blooms in 

 an upright position, but beyond a little the exhibitor 

 should not go. It is generally impossible to secure 

 several blooms of a sort of equally good quality, but 

 much may be effected in staging to show up the better 

 blooms. Before closing this portion of the subject it 

 may be said that directly a bloom is cut the stem should 

 be placed in water, and left so for an hour or two before 

 it is subjected to manipulation. 



The undernoted selection of varieties in the several 

 sections will be of use to the beginner in exhibiting, 

 who will do well to rather cultivate a number of plants 

 of reliable sorts than to grow a greater number composed 

 largely of second-class flowers. 



