PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 101 



small grain I have found guano produces a great growth of straw, 

 but not of grain. I would not use it in very large quantities. I 

 have not derived much benefit from the use of American guano. 



CULTIVATION OF FLOWERS. 



This question was now called up, and Andrew S. Fuller re- 

 quested to give the Club some information from his great store 

 of practical knowledge. 



CARNATIONS. 



Mr. Fuller made the following remarks upon this branch of the 

 question : 



The Carnation belongs to the genus Dianthus — the name Dian- 

 thus is derived from two words — first, Dios, the Greek name for 

 Jupiter, and Anthos, a flower. 



There are many varieties and species of the Dianthus : some of 

 them are natives of this country, some of China, and others from 

 Europe — in fact, nearly every portion of the temperate zone has 

 its species of this plant. But the Carnation or Dianthus Care- 

 phyllus is supposed to have been introduced into France and 

 England from Italy, and thence to America. At the present 

 time its cultivation is carried to the highest state of perfection 

 in France, Germany, and some parts of Holland. 



The Carnation class of the Dianthus is divided by florists at 

 the present time into several classes, snch as Flake, Bizarre, and 

 Picotee. The meaning of the word Flake is well known to be a 

 stripe or spot on the petal of the flower. Bizarre is a word bor- 

 rowed from the French, implying whimsical or fantastical in col- 

 ors. Picotee is also a French word, and signifies spotted ; hence 

 " la Carnation Picotee" means Spotted Carnation. 



The excellency of a Carnation is estimated by the brightness 

 and distinctness of its colors, and also the formation or construc- 

 tion of the flower. If it is a striped flower, the stripes should 

 run longitudinally through the petal, and each petal in the flower 

 should be striped. 



If the flower is of one color, or self, as they are designated, it 

 should be pure and bright, the form round, and the edges of the 

 petals smooth, and not indented. The flower should be suffi- 

 ciently double to form a slight crown in the center. 



