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Gardening for Amateurs 



has now a very fine yellow Self, named 

 Bookham Yellow, of which I hope we may 

 hear more in the future. Eros is a huge 

 grower, but too pale, it is a sulphur yellow. 

 Mrs. Elliot Douglas is as good a flower as 

 Daffodil, but again the colour is too light. 

 Cecilia does well in some localities ; also 

 Solfaterra and Miss Audrey Campbell. 



Buff and Terra-cotta Selfs. This class 

 contains some of the finest Carnations in 

 existence. Foremost amongst these comes 

 Elizabeth Shiffner, with a lovely orange 

 flush when first out, though later this fades 

 to maize. This Carnation can be recom- 

 mended for all purposes. It is the strongest 

 of doers, and is ever the same year by year. 

 It emanated from Edenside, and Mr. Douglas 

 tells me that it is the most popular Carna- 

 tion ever sent out ; at one show alone his 

 representative booked orders for over two 

 thousand plants. Mrs. G. H. Reynolds 

 resembles Elizabeth Shiffner in colour, but 

 in shape it is more of a rosette ; it has 

 rather a tendency to sport to flame-colour. 

 I saw a plant of it at Edenside two years 

 ago which was producing a series of blooms 

 closely resembling in tint the Rose W. A. 

 Richardson. If only that sport could have 

 been fixed, we should have had an absolutely 

 new departure ; it was certainly the most 

 gorgeously beautiful Carnation I have ever 

 seen. Mrs. Griffith Jones is a soft apricot, 

 and is a constant winner at the London 

 Show ; this variety is so stiff in growth 

 that it can be grown without stakes, at present 

 a remarkable peculiarity. Goldfinch is ex- 

 cellent, as are many others of this colour, 

 but Elizabeth Shiffner excels them all. 

 Of a darker shade, which may be described 

 as orange or terra-cotta, is Mrs. Robert 

 Morton, a strong grower ; also Robert Bruce, 

 which has done well in my garden. 



Dark Red and Maroon Selfs. It is 

 difficult to make a selection of these, so 

 numerous are good varieties. The best is 

 probably Mrs. George Marshall, which was 

 sent out from Great Bookham a few years 

 back, and has been winning prizes and in- 

 creasing in popularity ever since. The Lon- 

 don Show of 1913 might almost be termed 

 the Show of Mrs. George Marshall ; you en- 

 countered that worthy at every turn. It is 

 a flower of marvellous colouring, appearing 



to have a fiery ground colour, and yet to 

 be a solid colour. It is strong in growth, 

 but rather tall. Basuto has a perfect 

 calyx, and petal of large size. Zulu is 

 remarkable for its wiry stems standing very 

 erect. It is the darkest of Carnations, in 

 fact almost black. Two excellent novelties 

 of which much may be expected are : The 

 King, a grandly shaped flower that can 

 be described only as a crimson Willmott ; it 

 is of giant habit, perfect form and calyx ; 

 and The Ameer, a maroon crimson, of ex- 

 hibition form, and robust border habit. 

 Hercules, though its form leaves something 

 to be desired, can be most thoroughly re- 

 commended for border growth ; it is an 

 exceptionally fine colour dark maroon 

 very large (sometimes 5 inches across), very 

 vigorous, very tall, and a continuous bloomer. 

 Agnes Sorrel and Helen Countess of Radnor 

 are quite good varieties, as are also Ruby 

 and Lord Nelson. 



Red and Scarlet Selfs. This is not 

 at present a very numerous class ; we want 

 more scarlet Selfs badly. Cardinal, though 

 not in its first youth, continues to win 

 prizes, and is excellent in the border. Miss 

 Willmott, a lovely cherry red, is considered 

 one of the finest Carnations in cultivation. 

 Brigadier I consider a completely satisfactory 

 Carnation ; it has no faults that I know of ; 

 it is a lovely colour, has a perfect calyx, 

 and blooms continuously from June to 

 December. The summer of 1913 did not 

 agree with scarlet Selfs. Fujiyama was the 

 best, I think, at the London Show ; it is 

 crimson -scar let, perfect in form, and most 

 vigorous. Brilliant has a most reliable calyx, 

 but is not perfection in shape of petal. Fire- 

 fly, Deloraine, Jean Douglas, are good ; as 

 is also the older variety Robert Berkeley ; 

 the latter is considered sun-proof, which is 

 a great advantage, as most scarlet Selfs 

 scald badly. 



Pink and Rose Selfs. The most beauti- 

 ful pink Self in existence is Mrs. Robert 

 Berkeley, and her exquisite apple blossom 

 colour is unique. But, alas ! she is as 

 capricious as she is beautiful ; after making 

 vigorous and apparently healthy growth, 

 producing fine buds and splendid blossoms, 

 all of a sudden she collapses as if struck 

 by lightning ; why, no human being can 



