Carnation Culture in California 



WARREN R. SHELMIRE 



Warren R. Shelmire was born in Philadelphia in 1850. He removed to the country 



at the age of nineteen. In 1884 Mr. Shel- 

 mire started in the florist business at Avon- 

 dale, Pa., and immediately began the growing 

 of carnations, becoming very much inter- 

 ested in the obtaining of new seedlings. His 

 success was at the first indifferent, but, as 

 he puts it, "the lesson must be learned sooner 

 or later by the seedling grower, that im- 

 provement comes very slowly and the prizes 

 are few indeed." Although he placed upon- 

 the market several new varieties, he had but 

 one real good one, namely, Eldorado. This 

 variety was the result of deliberate crossings 

 along certain lines. The pollen of certain 

 kinds seems to be potent in a definite direc- 

 tion; for instance, he found in his experi- 

 ments that the pollen of Golden Gate almost 

 invariably produced a yellow or yellow 

 variegated flower, and at one time he had 

 eighty or more yellow seedlings on trial. 

 The same seed pod that produced Eldorado 

 also produced two other very good sorts, 

 WARREN R. SHELMIRE namely, Kitty Clover and Eulalie. 



Carnation Culture in California 



BY JOHN H. SIEVERS, SAN FRANCISCO. 



Outdoor culture of carnations, commonly called "pinks," is well under- 

 stood in California, because the plants, with us, are quite hardy, on account 

 of the mildness of our climate, and, when properly cut-back and taken care 

 of, last in the garden for a number of years. These plants in former days 

 were generally raised from imported seed; and if any variety proved to be 

 extra good, it was propagated by layers, or cuttings. Before greenhouse 

 culture of carnations was introduced, plants were raised in this way, set 

 out in rows, and left outside until the end of November. Being then in 

 full bud, they were taken up from the ground and placed on benches in 

 greenhouses, for whatever they would yield in flowers for the holidays. 



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