Raising Carnations from Seed 

 The Growing of New Varieties 



BY FRED DORNER. 



As the growing of new varieties has been a great factor in the evolution 

 of the carnation during the last decade, a few remarks as to how this branch 

 is conducted at our place, at Lafayette, Ind., may be of interest. 



My first seedlings were grown in 1889. The varieties which were then 

 at my command, to obtain seed from, and which are mainly the ancestors of 

 all I have grown since, were : President De Graw, Edwardsii, Heintz's White, 

 and Silver Spray, white; Grace Wilder, and Mrs. Cleveland, light pink; La 

 Purite and Tidal Wave, dark pink; E. G. Hill and President Garfield, 

 scarlet; Ferdinand Mangold, crimson; Buttercup and Astoria, yellow; and 

 Hinsdale and Sunrise, variegated. 



Encouraged by my first effort, which proved a grand success, I con- 

 cluded to make carnation culture my specialty,, and the production of new 

 varieties the head of it. 



The seed for 1890 was grown mainly on the 1889 seedlings, and in the 

 fall of 1890, a bench, 4 feet x 120 feet, was filled with plants selected out of 

 2,000 seedlings from the field. This branch of the business has since steadily 

 increased ; and in the fall of 1902, a whole house, containing 2,200 plants, was 

 filled with those selected from 8,000 seedlings that had bloomed in the 

 field. A correct record of all crossings, since 1890, has been kept. This is 

 found to be a great help, as a seed parent is rarely selected without con- 

 sulting its pedigree. 



Seed is grown in January and February. The parent plants are mostly 

 selected from the one and two-year-old seedlings. At this time, the flowers 

 can be selected when they are at their best, and we find it the most suitable 

 period to make a clean crossing without the interference of nature's agents 

 to effect fertilization. By April the seed is ripe, and is sown at once ; and 

 by the latter part of May the young plants can be transferred to the field. 

 Quite a number of plants will bloom by the latter part of July, and my experi- 

 ence tells me that plants which have not flowered by the I5th of October are 

 worthless, as they are invariably shy and late bloomers. The best and most 

 profitable varieties we have sent out were found among the early bloomers 

 in the field. 



A noticeable feature, in my experience, is, that while in 1890 fully 50 

 per cent, of the flowers came single, this has gradually decreased to about 20 

 per cent, in 1902. 



About one-eighth of the seedling plants housed are selected and num- 



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