48 GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



the Carnation and Picotee in every class, those beloved of the 

 " florist " as well as the even more popular garden varieties. 



The Carnation in its wild state is the Dianthus caryophyllus 

 of the botanist, and is found generally on the walls of old 

 castles, &c. It did grow at one time, and may now, on the 

 walls of Rochester Castle. This may give us some inkling 

 of the conditions under which the plant may be cultivated 

 in our gardens. Certainly the supply of food to be ob- 

 tained on the walls of an old castle cannot be rich ; but it 

 is well known that such plants are free from the diseases 

 that afflict the tufts nursed on rich loam, and stimulated with 

 artificial manures. 



Border Carnations. This is somewhat a vague term, as 

 almost every class or section of the Carnation is adapted for 

 culture in the garden, and it is merely a matter of the taste of 

 the owner of the garden as to the varieties that are preferred. 

 A very fine display can be obtained by growing seedlings, but 

 to obtain anything like good results seed should be saved 

 from the finest varieties in cultivation, and the flowers ought 

 also to be cross-fertilised. This is done by setting aside 

 the best varieties in their respective classes, and using the 

 pollen of a variety with well-formed flowers and of decided 

 colour. 



The seed bearer should be of robust habit and of good 

 constitution ; the flowers to be also of high-class quality. 

 The flowers of Tree Carnations are cross-fertilised in May 

 and June. So also is the Malmaison for seed. This is never 

 for sale. The border and show Carnation seed is obtained 

 by placing the plants under glass, and setting the blossoms 

 in July, as in that month the flowers are produced without 

 forcing. The seed will ripen in two months, and the pods 

 must be gathered as soon as the seed is nearly black. The 

 pods become brownish when the seed is ripe. Dry the seed 

 in the pods, and when it has lain in a dry place in the pod 

 for two or three weeks the seed may be removed, done up in 

 packets, labelled, and dated, and kept until the spring. The 

 Tree Carnation seed should be sown in February, and if the 

 plants are grown on and carefully attended to they will flower 

 in the autumn and winter of the same year. On the other 

 hand, the Malmaison and border Carnation seed is best if 

 sown about the end of March or early in April, so that the 

 plants have a full season to make their growth ; they will 

 flower in due course the following season. The flowering of 

 the seedlings is a time of excitement ; there will be some 

 pleasant surprises, and, until the amateur is seasoned by some 

 years of experience, times also of disappointment. I receive 



