Raising Carnations from Seed 



stripes or edgings. Sometimes they are laid on in dashes, flecks and bars, 

 as if the Goddess of Flowers now and then wielded her brush carelessly. 



The fancy variegated section will afford much interest and pleasure. 

 Selections from this section should be pure in color tint, and the markings 

 should be distinct and agreeable in tone. 



The ideal white carnation is like the Will-o'-the-wisp, always before you, 

 yet not quite in hand. In this section, the field is still open. It may be said 

 to be almost unoccupied, and so long as carnations are grown we may expect 

 a continued search for the ideal white. Several times has the ideal been 

 announced, exhibited, and received the prizes and awards of the National 

 Society, but when put to the test, a year or two after introduction it has failed 

 to satisfy the requirements. 



Of all the colors yet obtained, yellow seems the most difficult to pro- 

 duce. It generally comes with various types of variegation, which should 

 be disposed in clear, distinct markings. The call for yellow carnations 

 is not over large ; nevertheless, a good yellow is always in demand in limited 

 quantities. 



On the ist of February most of the worthy plants will have bloomed, 

 and the selection for the second year's trial have been made. None but 

 strong cuttings should be taken from such, and only a moderate number 

 propagated the first year. Many seedling raisers make the mistake of 

 growing as many cuttings as possible from the seedling plant, and the dis- 

 position of many varieties to become weak during the earlier years of prop- 

 agation, may possibly be traced to the over-propagation of the seedling 

 plant. Many times a seedling plant which shows an exceptionally strong, 

 vigorous constitution, and, in fact, seems to be extra promising, turns out 

 to be of little value on the second year's, and probably on the third year's 

 trial. In fact, for the first three or four years but little is positively known 

 of the variety under test. Frequently a variety which shows great promise 

 during the first and second years' trials utterly fails the third year. 



Four to six years after introduction seem to constitute the profitable 

 commercial life of a carnation, although such may frequently be prolonged ; 

 and many varieties have been grown commercially with great success for 

 ten to twelve or more years by growers who realize thoroughly the im- 

 portance of general good care, good culture, and a selection of propagating 

 wood from plants in the best of health and condition. Too much import- 

 ance cannot be placed upon proper cultural methods and judicious selection 

 of propagating wood. Nevertheless it will always be a fact, that so long 

 as raisers of seedlings continue to produce new varieties, it will be necessary 



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