2o6 F lowering -Carnatio7is. 



tion. Rich as is North America in its forest-trees, every year seems to 

 add some new species to its flora. The oaks and pines, with their alHes, are 

 as diversified in habits, size, and form, in beauty of foliage or singularity 

 of fruit, as the wide-apart and interesting regions in which they are found 

 indigenous. jfolm L. Russell. 



NEW DWARF PERPETUAL FLOWERING-CARNATIONS. 



The culture of the carnation, as well as that of the auricula, the poly- 

 anthus, the tulip, and other flowers known as " florist-flowers," has, to a 

 great degree, gone out of fasliion. Lately, there are signs that the fancy 

 for this class of plants is reviving. We are glad of it. They are among 

 the most beautiful and interesting of flowers, and are destined, we think, 

 at no distant day, to have as many votaries, and to awaken as much enthu- 

 siasm, as in the early part of this century. 



Carnations have their objectionable qualities. They are ver}' trouble- 

 some, from the fact that they are too tall and too weak to stand alone, and 

 require to be tied to sticks, — a tedious process when there are many of 

 them to be looked after. A French cultivator, M. Alegatiere, has under- 

 taken to remedy this defect. Ey means of artificial hybridization, prac- 

 tised for a series of years, he has succeeded in producing a race of carna- 

 tions which are perpetual bloomers, and of which the flower-stems are 

 scarcely more than a foot high. They are so strong, that, when pressed 

 down, they are said to start up again like a spring. The flowers are de- 

 scribed as of a perfect shape, very fragrant, rich in color, and produced in 

 great abundance. The foliage is of a bright and lively green. They cotne 

 trtie from seed. In short, the originator claims that he has created, not 

 a new variety, but a new species. Darwin, no doubt, would agree with 

 him. Whatever theory on this point may be adopted, it seems reasonably 

 certain that he has achieved a horticultural triumph of the first order ; and 

 that we may speedily look for the public advent of a new race of pinks 

 with the merits of the best old ones, and without their foults. 



F. Parkman. 



