THE CARNATION AND PICOTEE 129 



day. But as the showing to perfection of this type necessitates 

 dressing the petals with tweezers and displaying the flower on a 

 card or collar, the popularity of this class has waned ; but they 

 can still be seen to perfection in cottagers' gardens in the north, 

 especially on Tyneside, where they may be seen in great beauty 

 in very out-of-the-way places in August. They are divided for 

 show and exhibition purposes into six classes, as follows : . 

 I. Scarlet Bizarres. These have a white ground, or as near 

 white as possible ; the purer the white is the greater are they 

 esteemed. The colours are divided into lines and flakes, and 

 in this class are maroon and scarlet. The best varieties are : 

 Admiral Curzon, a very old variety, and still not surpassed 

 when at its best ; Dr. Hogg, Edward Adams, Robert Houl- 

 grave, and George Lord. II. Crimson Bizarres. These are 

 white grounds, flaked and striped with crimson and purple. 

 The best of them are : Bruce Findlay, C. F. Thurston, J. S. 

 Hedderley, Master Fred, Phcebe, and Thaddeus. III. Pink 

 and purple Bizarres. These are pink and purple, some a very 

 pale pink are of delicate beauty. The best of them are : 

 Melody, Harmony, William Skirving, Squire Penson, and 

 Sarah Payne. This last is very old, but still grown for its 

 charming arrangement of colours. There are also three 

 sections or groups of flaked Carnations included in the show 

 or florists' type. IV. Purple Flakes. These have also a white 

 ground with flakes of purple. The best of them are : Charles 

 Henwood, James Douglas, Squire Whitbourn, Gordon Lewis, 

 and George Melville. V. Scarlet Flakes. Flambeau, Guards- 

 man, John Wormald, Matador, and Sportsman. VI. Rose 

 Flakes. Lady Mary Curry, Torchlight, and Recorder. 



Malmaison Carnations. This favourite flower of Queen 

 Alexandra is one of the most useful of greenhouse plants, 

 giving as it does, when properly managed, a succession of 

 sweet-scented bloom from March until August. One has only 

 to inspect an exhibit at the Royal Horticultural Society's Show 

 from such growers as Mr. Leopold de Rothschild or Mr. C. F. 

 Raphael to realise the possibilities of specimen plants for con- 

 servatory decoration or for out bloom. One very fine specimen 

 in a i6-inch pot, shown, we believe, by the latter gentleman, 

 bore something like sixty-eight disbudded blooms, some of 

 which measured 5 inches across. The late Mr. Martin R. 

 Smith did much for us by raising new kinds some thirty, we 

 believe, which are now standard varieties. He failed in one 

 respect, as everyone has done who has essayed the task of 

 raising a good yellow Malmaison. The only one worth saving 

 was found to be a variety he called Yaller Gal, and against his 



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