158 THE NEW GARDENING 



The progress made during recent years in the cultivation 

 of winter Carnations is almost as remarkable in its way 

 as that accomplished with Sweet Peas and pole Roses. 

 The cases of Carnations and Sweet Peas are, indeed, on 

 parallel lines. In each plant we have seen arise, with 

 almost dramatic suddenness, a new class, which has made 

 so powerful an impression on public taste as to usurp 

 completely the place of the old. Moreover, this modern 

 section has suggested an advanced method of culture. 



With both Carnations and Sweet Peas what is practi- 

 cally a new industry has grown up. A good deal of capital 

 has been put into glass-houses, in the former case for 

 bloom, in the latter for seed. New openings have been 

 made for skilled labour. A fresh and important item 

 has been added to the markets. 



The new winter Carnation is of American origin, and 

 it made its debut in the form of that beautiful bright 

 pink variety Mrs. T. W. Lawson. Even the casual 

 flower-lover, who knows very little of the names of Car- 

 nations, is familiar with the name of this famous kind, 

 not only because it is associated with a notorious financier, 

 but because a few years ago sensational accounts of the 

 huge sums which were reputedly paid for the first plants 

 were trumpeted for months in the public press. Its 

 success was instantaneous, with the natural result that 

 florists rushed to the production of fresh varieties of the 

 same type. It was commonly agreed that the old type 

 of winter Carnation would have to go, because of the larger 

 size, longer stems and richer perfume of the new class ; 

 and raisers fell over each other in their haste to produce 

 new colours of the Lawson race. 



How far they have succeeded may be gauged from the 

 following list of modern varieties : 



Britannia. A beautiful scarlet variety, which the old 



