■JT 



702 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



Janlauv 24, 1907. 



carnations, and consequently it was 

 taken up by many new firms. Every 

 new variety that was boomed in America 

 was eagerly imported, grown and very 

 often thrown away the first year, as 

 many were quite unsuitable for the Eng- 

 lish climate. 



Influence of Enchantress. 



T"hen came the glorious Enchantress 

 and with it the germs of the new disease 

 called the carnation fever, which attacks 

 flower-growers and flower-lovers. The 

 germ has not been discovered yet, but it 

 is there right enough, I have no doubt, 

 and it spreads fast, too, and makes the 

 disease very catching. 



I caught it a few years ago, and am 

 not likely to get rid of it again, for it 

 seems incurable. It is a comfort that it 

 is a painless disease, at least as long as 

 the market prices for the carnation 

 blooms are good. 



However this may be, there is no doubt 

 that Enchantress has helped to popularize 

 the American carnation more than any 

 other six varieties taken together. If 

 there is a new variety being introduced, 

 the first question generally is : " Is it 

 as good as Enchantress?" But, alas, I 

 am sorry to say those that have come 

 since have not been as good. But per- 

 haps I should not say I am sorry ; rather, 

 I am glad they have not been so good, 

 for I think it is really a blessing in dis- 

 guise that nothing up to the present in 

 other colors has come up to Enchantress, 

 as it shows the hybridizer a goal well 

 worth obtaining, plainly before him, and 

 it is certainly easier to work towards 

 something that we can clearly see before 

 us than to try reaching an ideal that 

 only exists in our imagination. 



However, I am afraid I am getting 

 off my track, which you will kindly ex- 

 cuse, for it is one of the symptoms of the 

 carnation fever that if you start one of 

 those who has the complaint going on 

 this kind of subject it will take a mighty 

 effort to stop him. 



Quantities Grown in England. 



The American carnation stands in Eng- 

 land today something like this: There 

 are, I should say, about one million plants 

 grown for the production of cut flowers 

 alone. Ninety per cent of these at least 

 are cultivated in pots. Of the remainder, 

 two-thirds are planted on raised benches 

 and one-third on solid beds. The latter 

 two methods are gaining in favor, and in 

 ten years' time I should not be surprised 

 to see the state of things reversed. 



Besides these, there are a large quan- 

 tity grown in private establishments, and 

 hardly any of the up-to-date estates is 

 now without its special carnation house. 



The number of the American kinds 

 grown in this way I should estimate at 

 100,000 to 200,000. Ninety-.five per cent 

 at lealst are grown in pots. This num- 

 ber is constantly increasing, and thete is 

 no doubt that the modern winter-flower- 

 ing carnation is beginning a fight for 

 supremacy with the chrysanthemum, 

 which has hitherto been the unassailed 

 queen of the autumn and winter. I cal- 

 culate that in five years' time there will 

 be at least three times the present quan- 

 tity grown in England. 



On tfie G}ntinent. 



The continent of Europe is a little 

 behind England as regards the popular- 

 ity of the Ainerican carnation. How- 

 ever, the fever germ has crossed the 

 Channel and the North Sea and the car- 

 nation fever has caught on. 



In Germany, a very limited number of 



growers have cultivated the American 

 kinds for a few years, and managed to 

 keep the names secret for a time. This 

 game does not do for a long time in the 

 twentieth century. There are too many 

 trade papers about, and if there is money 

 in a thing it will come out. This is as 

 it should be ; then, after all that is said 

 and done, the policy of the open door 

 is the only progressive one and beats the 

 surrounding of places with a Chinese 

 wall always in the end. Now that the 

 secret is out, the German trade is all the 

 more eager to obtain the wonders from 

 across the Atlantic, and consequently a 

 good trade is being done with young 

 plants. 



Thi^ is not only the case in Germany, 



American carnation is known and grown 

 and the rapidity with which it has found 

 its way is nothing less than phenomenal 

 This may partly be due to ' ' booming ' ' 

 but vastly more because of its sterling 

 value. 



Two Dangers. 



All this is well and good, but two 

 great dangers are looming ahead. One: 

 How long will it go on before the supply 

 is in excess of the demand? The otheV 

 and greater: How soon shall we be 

 swamped with innumerable quantities of 

 novelties, which according to the raiser 

 will all be better than Enchantress, bul 

 which in reality will only be useless rub 

 bish that must disgust the straight and 



I.. 



i " 



Carnation Imperial. 



but also in France, Belgium, Russia, 

 Denmark and Austria; in. short, all the 

 countries on the continent of Europe 

 are going in for the American carna- 

 tions, and I don't think I am overesti- 

 mating it^ if I say that within five years 

 there will be fifty times more American 

 carnations grown than there are today. 



I know of one German grower, who 

 only about two years ago purchased 

 some $2,500 worth of carnation stock 

 from the south of France, and after 

 giving the American varieties a trial 

 this season, intends to discard all his 

 French varieties and grow the American 

 ones in their place. 



Even beyond Europe, the fame of the 

 divine flower has spread, for only a 

 month or so ago I sent a fairly large 

 consignment of young plants to Egypt, 

 which arrived well, and I hope will do 

 well. That they are going ahead in Aus- 

 tralia is well known. About Asia I 

 cannot say anything, as I have sent no 

 further than the Crimea that way. Any- 

 how, in four continents out of five the 



honest florist and damage the trade for 

 those few new varieties that are really 

 good ? 



Lack of Sun a Factor. 



To discuss how the American carna- 

 tion as seen in England compares with 

 its brother in the States, or how Eng- 

 lish methods of growing are inferior or 

 otherwise to the American, would lead 

 too far. However, one thing I may be 

 allowed to mention by way of apology. 

 If some of you should ever visit one of 

 our English carnation shows in midwin- 

 ter and find the blooms inferior or per- 

 haps poor in comparison to your perfect 

 specimen, please remember that the chief 

 factor in producing first-class blooms in 

 winter is the light, and then take into 

 consideration that December 21 the 

 sun rises in London, or rather is sup- 

 posed to rise, at 8:0.5 and sets at 3:51. 

 This is according to the almanac. In 

 reality, it does not shine at all through 

 November. December and January; at 

 least, not to any appreciable extent. 



