THE CARNATION AND PICOTEE 49 



hundreds of letters from amateurs in the course of the season, 

 and it is amusing to read the different notions they have of 

 the results to be obtained from sowing seed. Many have an 

 idea that they can reproduce the finest varieties from seed ; 

 others that if the seed is saved from the best varieties all the 

 seedlings may be like their parentage to a certain extent, and 

 if any varieties are produced amongst them with single 

 flowers, showing a reversion to the original parentage, the 

 easiest way is to blame the seed. Taking a hundred plants 

 raised from the best strains of seed, there would be a dozen 

 to fifteen plants with single flowers. Seventy or eighty would 

 be varieties with double flowers of unequal merit ; perhaps 

 five or six might be worth growing again to be tested against 

 the named varieties. 



The cross-fertilisation gives some very curious results. 

 For instance, it is intended to produce some new varieties of 

 yellow or white ground Picotees, and care is taken to cross- 

 fertilise the best varieties in the various classes. The flowers 

 may be yellow or white, with narrow margins of red, rose- 

 pink, purple, scarlet, &c. The seedlings produced from such 

 crosses would give a large proportion of self flowers, and 

 nondescript fancies of various colours. The yellow ground 

 varieties produce many seedlings with white grounds ; but 

 seedlings from white ground Picotees may never be expected 

 to produce varieties with yellow grounds. Similar results are 

 obtained if seed is saved from flaked and bizarre Carnations; 

 selfs and fancies are freely produced from such, whereas an 

 inexperienced amateur might think he ought to have all white 

 ground Picotees from seed saved from such, and the same 

 with flakes and bizarres. 



When choice varieties are obtained they should be pro- 

 pagated from layers in the usual way, and a good stock of 

 healthy plants will soon be established. 



A bed of well-grown seedling Carnations is a beautiful 

 feature in any garden. The seed if sown as advised about 

 the end of March, and the plants well cultivated that is, 

 planted in good deep rich soil and about fifteen inches 

 asunder each of them will produce a hundred to two hun- 

 dred blooms, and they may be cut in handfuls of flowers 

 and buds borne on long stems. For placing in vases for this 

 purpose the single flowers are also of merit. 



Propagation and Culture of Border Carnations. Every one 

 with a garden of any kind can grow border Carnations. 

 They do not suffer much, if at all, in an impure atmosphere, 

 but to obtain the best results good loam is needed, with some 

 good rich manure, placed some six inches below the surface. 



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