ON FOUR DOORYARD FLOWERS 



weed. It is possible that new and interesting vari- 

 eties of verbena may be produced by hybridizing 

 the familiar cultivated ones with some of the wild 

 species that have not hitherto been brought into 

 the combination. 



CARNATIONS, OR PINKS 



It is rather anomalous that a plant should bear 

 at the same time two popular names suggestive of 

 colors so different as pink and carnation and the 

 anomaly is not lessened by the fact that the plant 

 itself bears flowers not only of the colors suggested 

 but also of the purest white. Such, however, is the 

 case with the plants that are known to the botanist 

 as constituting the genus Dianthus. 



Despite the paradox, however, the Dianthus 

 fully justifies its popular names, for specimens are 

 of the most vivid carnation and others are of the 

 most beautiful pink. Meantime the white ones 

 are as beautiful in their way as either of their 

 more gaudy sisters. 



Our studies of other flowers have made it seem 

 commonplace enough that a plant should show 

 such diversity. But the carnation as represented by 

 one of my hybrid varieties, presents a color anom- 

 aly that has not been shown by any other flower 

 with which we have made acquaintance; nor, 

 indeed, so far as I am aware, by any other flower 

 whatever. 



[119] 



