52 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



A species of woolly aphis {Tra??ia mirkidce) is a pest recently 

 noted as attacking the roots of the Auricula. The insects cluster 

 around the stem above and below ground, but do not 

 seem to do so much mischief as one would think. I take a 

 small brush, dip it in dry tobacco-powder, and brush the powder 

 well in amongst them. When repotting the plants, remove any 

 of the aphides found amongst the roots, for they will get down as 

 far as the drainage. The ordinary greenfly is also troublesome, 

 but this is destroyed by fumigating, or by dusting with tobacco- 

 powder if the plants are not in a close greenhouse or frame. 



The Carnation and Picotee {Dianthus Caryophyllus). 



During the last quarter of a century a great advance has been 

 made with the Carnation. At that time Carnation fanciers 

 thought most of Flakes, Bizarres, and ^^'hite-Ground Picotees. 

 The Malmaison Carnations were few, the old Pink and Blush 

 being almost exclusively cultivated. Soon, however, a great 

 improvement took place in the Yellow-Ground Picotee, a fine 

 variety, Prince of Orange, being used as the seed-bearer ; but 

 most of the above were grown in flower-pots, and cultivated 

 under glass. By and by amateurs asked for a hardier type of 

 Carnation for border culture, and when a want is felt the supply 

 is not long in coming. There are now in cultivation a very 

 large number of Border Carnations, and the names of the best 

 varieties will be found under the " Selfs " and ''Fancies." New 

 varieties of Malmaison Carnations have also been introduced, 

 many of them of rich and perfectly distinct colours. The 

 Yellow-Ground Picotees have been improved quite as much 

 as the Selfs and Fancies during the last decade. The Flakes, 

 Bizarres, and White-Ground Picotees seem to have attained to 

 perfection, little or no improvement having been made during 

 the last quarter of a century. 



The Carnation, which also includes the Picotee, is one of the 

 good, old-fashioned flowers that never ceases to please. The 

 old authors, like Gerard and Parkinson, wrote about them three- 

 hundred years ago. The myriad-minded magician, Shakespeare, 

 did not omit the Carnation from his plays. W^hat florist does 

 not admire the amusing dialogue between Polixenes and Perdita 

 in the "Winter's Tale." 



Perdita says : 



"Sir, the year growing ancient, — 

 Not yet on summer's death, nor on the birth 



