GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY PLANTS 83 



this until large enough to put three around the edge of a 3-inch 

 pot; from these shift into 5 -inch pots. 



CARNATION. Dianthus Caryophyllus is the species from 

 which the Carnation of today has sprung. Variation in the flow- 

 ers, the result of continuous cultivation under artificial and highly 

 favorable circumstances, produced, in the first place, well marked 

 varieties; these variations were perpetuated by cuttings, and from 

 them by means of cross-breeding and from sports distinct races 

 have been evolved, gradually showing a wider range of color and 

 habit. In America the climatic conditions are pecuHarly favorable 

 for the development of the flower under glass, and little by little a 

 race has been obtained perfectly adapted to Winter production of 

 bloom. Not many years have elapsed since the best cultivators of 

 plants would have predicted a short life for the Carnation raised 

 under glass, and this would probably be the case were its entire life, 

 or rather the lives of several generations, spent in this way. But 

 the utmost vigor is imparted to the plants shortly after the cutting 

 stage is passed by their cultivation out of doors for the best part of 

 the Summer. Another very favorable means, which is without doubt 

 highly instrumental in maintaining and strengthening the vigor of 

 the race, is the raising of new varieties from seed. The development 

 of the wonderful blooms of today, represented in such varieties as 

 Winsor, Beacon, White Perfection, the forms of Enchantress and 

 others too numerous to mention, dates back only a very few years 

 when the blooms were of very ordinary dimensions, stems weak and 

 calyx often imperfect. Nearly every grower has been more or less 

 engaged in raising new forms by crossing varieties. The work along 

 this line presents no serious difficulties and while hundreds of 

 thousands of seedlings have been rejected, numerous meritorious 

 new ones come into prominence. 



Varieties. The best varieties to grow in any one place cannot 

 be pointed out except by experiment, as there is no variety which 

 does equally well in all soils. When once the best sorts for any 

 particular soil are selected they should not be discarded until new 

 and improved or other kinds have been tested for at least a season. 



Culture 



Planting in the Field. In the locality of Washington the plants 

 are safe out in the field by the end of March, but climatic conditions are 

 the only safe guide for different localities. The ground is previously 

 prepared by manuring, plowing and harrowing, and the plants set 



