70 THE BOOK OF THE CARNATION 



their turn exhibit a profuse floriferousness immensely 

 ahead of those produced any other way. To the ordinary 

 flower-lover, whose tastes are simple, the diversity in 

 colour and form, and the exquisite single varieties never 

 absent from a batch of seedlings, indicates this as, to him, 

 the most interesting phase of Carnation culture he can 

 pursue. The seeds sold in England are generally the 

 production of German florists, the produce varying very 

 much in quality. High-class seeds are naturally expen- 

 sive. Even on the Continent it is the practice to cultivate 

 seed-bearing plants in pots, and in this country it is 

 practically impossible to produce seeds under any other 

 conditions. Moreover, fertilization and other processes 

 such as harvesting and cleaning are all effected by hand. 

 Cheap Carnation seeds should therefore be eschewed, for 

 while expensive seeds may prove unsatisfactory, it is 

 certain that cheap ones will be so. 



Up till a quite recent period the quality of seedlings 

 was largely a question of chance, the fertilization of 

 flowers being effected entirely by insect agency. Now, 

 however, in all parts of the country enthusiasts carry out 

 the process on lines more or less scientific, and that none 

 may despair of succeeding it is a fact worth noting that 

 some of the more popular and long-standing varieties 

 have resulted from the labour of unknown workers. 



The Carnation is bisexual, or possesses in each flower 

 an ovary with styles and stigmatic processes, and fertilizing 

 pollen-bearers or anthers. If the petals of a bloom are 

 carefully removed, there will be found springing from 

 the apex of the ovary or seed-capsule, two, and not 

 unseldom three, styles, which in some varieties are bent, 

 curled, and twisted in a curious manner, those in dark- 

 coloured varieties being generally coloured. When in 

 a condition to receive the pollen the whole surface of 

 the style is erupted, rough in appearance, and covered 

 with a clammy exudation that catches and retains any 



