Carnation Culture in Richmond, Indiana 



W. Lawson carnation, cerise, was disseminated in 1900. The price at which this 

 carnation was sold was $11,500, the highest figure ever obtained for one variety of 

 carnation up to that time. The Mrs. Thomas W. Lawson carnation was raised from 

 Daybreak, crossed with Van Leeuwen, the former variety being the seed bearer, the lat- 

 ter the pollen parent in color, cerise, resembling the variety Tidal Wave. The seed was 

 sown April 2, 1894, and the first flowers were obtained in September of the same year. 

 The variety Mrs. Lawson has won five silver cups, two silver medals, a gold medal at 

 The American Carnation Society meeting, held at Baltimore in 1901, and numerous cer- 

 tificates of merit. 



Another of Mr. Fisher's productions is the variety Governor Wolcott, white, which 

 was disseminated in 1902. It was obtained from Flora Hill, white, crossed with Mrs. 

 Thos. W. Lawson, cerise, the former being the seed bearer. The seed of this variety 

 was sown in March, 1898, and the plants bloomed the following September. It has 

 been awarded numerous certificates of merit. 



Enchantress, another of Mr. Fisher's productions, was raised from Mrs. Geo. M. 

 Bradt variety crossed with Mrs. Thomas W. Lawson, in 1899. The seed was sown in 

 March of that year; the variety first bloomed in the following August. Enchantress 

 is being introduced to the trade by The J. D. Thompson Carnation Co., of Joliet, 111., 

 to whom Mr. Fisher sold all the stock, less 3,000 plants for his own use, for the sum 

 of $7,000. 



Carnation Culture in Richmond, Indiana 



BY E. G. HILL 



Carnation culture has received no small degree of consideration at the 

 hands of growers and specialists in this grand state of the Middle West. 

 The attention of the trade growers of the country was directed toward this 

 section, some twelve years ago, by a number of fine seedling novelties which 

 had been originated in the State. The influence of Mr. Fred. Dorner's im- 

 proved varieties tended to awaken and stimulate additional interest in the 

 flower, both in his own section and throughout the whole country. This 

 influence has its full effect here, at Richmond, and, as a consequence, the 

 cross-fertilization of the carnation was gone into, with very interesting 

 results. Armazindy, Triumph, and Flora Hill were the products of our 

 earlier work; America and Gaiety, of more recent efforts. 



In addition to the improvement of this flower, by the introduction of 

 finer sorts, entirely new cultural methods were adopted gradually, through 

 several years of careful experimenting, which has been done in a conserva- 

 tive and painstaking manner, requiring infinite patience in waiting for results, 

 and in recording them for future use. The new culture has worked wonders 

 for the carnation. The methods adopted began with the cuttings used for 



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