History and Culture of the Carnation. 431 



which were there examined by all the members present, and 

 their names and descriptions registered from time to time. 

 From this origin, in 1730, societies were afterwards established 

 in several places, to encourage by prizes, and such honours 

 as they were enabled to award, the cultivation of such fruits 

 and flowers as were considered most generally useful and 

 ornamental ; amongst which the carnation has always been 

 considered as a most prominent object. 



Modern florists divide the carnation into four classes : — 



1. The Bizarre: the flowers of which are striped or varie- 

 gated with irregular spots and stripes ; the colours of which 

 are scarlet or crimson. 



2. Flakes, which consist of three colours, with large stripes 

 going quite through the petals : the stripes are scarlet rose, 

 or purple. 



3. Picotees (a French word, signifying spotted or dotted). 

 These flowers have always a white ground, [picotees with a yel- 

 low ground are now extant,] and are spotted or pounced with 

 scarlet, red, purple, or other colours. 



4. The fourth class, little noticed by florists, are called 

 Painted Ladies. These have their petals of a red or purple 

 colour on the upper side, and are white underneath. 



Of each of these classes there are numerous varieties, espe- 

 cially of the picotees, which, some years ago, were in most 

 esteem with florists ; but, of late years, the bizarres and flakes 

 have been more attended to, and in greater request. To 

 enumerate the varieties would be endless, as they are not per- 

 manent ; and new flowers are produced from seed every year, 

 which at first raising are very highly valued, but become so 

 common in a few years as to be little regarded, especially if 

 they prove to be defective in any one essential property, when, 

 by the fickleness that prevails amongst florists, they are, at 

 the next selection of seedlings, to make room for new comers. 



The following are what the florists call the good and re- 

 quisite properties of a carnation : ■ — 



1. The stem of the flower should be strong and straight, 

 not less than 30 in., nor more than 45 in. high, and able to 

 support the weight of the flower without hanging down, which 

 flower should at least be 3 in. in diameter. 



2. The petals should be long, broad, and stiff, easy to ex- 

 pand and make free flowers, the lower or outer circle of petals, 

 commonly called the guard leaves, should be particularly sub- 

 stantial ; they should rise perpendicularly, about half an inch 

 above the calyx, and then turn off gracefully in a horizontal 

 direction, supporting the interior petals, which should decrease 

 gradually in size as they approach the centre, and with them 



