130 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDEXIXG. 



instances so curiously blended, that anything like 

 classification is out of the question. Moreover, some 

 flowers partake both of the character of Carnation 

 and Picotee, which adds fo the difficulty of dividing 

 them into anything like intelligible sections. Be- 

 sides, while in the case of the florists' Carnation and 

 Picotee the petals are considered to be most perfect 

 when they are smooth or rounded on the edges, 

 the petals of Tree Carnations are both smooth and 

 fimbriated, as can be seen in the accompanying 

 illustration, and some of the most striking flowers are 

 those haAang petals with fringed edges. Xot a few 

 are marked in an eccentric and grotesque manner. 

 Some of this mixed character may be due to crossing ; 

 but this class of Carnations seems to have a natural 

 tendency to " sport " without any special attempt on 

 the part of the florist. 



Time was when the few perpetual Carnations to 

 be m.et with in this country were of a tall lanky 

 growth, and having somewhat poor flowers. The 

 introduction of some Continental varieties of strong, 

 free growth, proved of great ser\dce to English 

 florists, who set to work to take seed from these 

 and raise new varieties ; and from these have sprung 

 a race dwarfed in growth, more \'igorous in habit, 

 and earlier to bloom, as well as producing flowers 

 much more freely. 



In propagating these winter-flowering varieties^ 

 they are not layered, but increased by "pipings," 

 or cuttings, in the same way as Pinks. The best 

 time to do this is at the end of February or early in 

 March, placing them in pots of soil composed in 

 great part of sand, putting eight or ten pipings into 

 a four-inch pot, and pressing the soil flrmly about 

 them, gi^'ing them a good sprinkling overhead, and 

 placing the pots in a gentle bottom heat. In about 

 three weeks these pipings will be sufficiently rooted 

 to be potted off singly into three-inch pots, and 

 when well established, hardened off gradually, and 

 then shifted into larger pots, according to the 

 strength of the plants. 'SMien established, the 

 plants should be placed out of doors on a floor of 

 coal-ashes during the summer months, kept well 

 watered, and as they make growth be properly 

 staked, and carefully tied to the stakes to prevent any 

 damage from winds. There is a small group of 

 yellow-flowered Picotees which can be treated in 

 m^zch the same way, and are also found very useful 

 for cutting from, as well as of great decorative 

 value. 



A useful selection of Tree Carnations will be found 

 in the following- : — 



Lady Lonsdale. 

 Laiu-a. 

 Miss Joliffe. 

 Mrs. Dix. 



Mrs. Llewelyn. 

 Souvenir de la Malmaison. 

 The Queen. 

 Wortliington Smith. 



Cloves. — Clove Carnations now forai a numerous 

 group, and they have been greatly increased of late 

 by the addition of a large number of fine varieties. 

 AVhether the original form of Dianthus Carophyllus 

 was white on the ground or coloured we cannot state, 

 but it may perhaps be presumed it was flesh-coloured. 

 Cloves cannot be obtained with certainty from seeds ; 

 and a large number of the varieties are seK-coloured 

 forms of the Carnation. Sometimes a plant, of say a 

 scarlet Bizarre Carnation, will produce flowers wholly 

 scarlet, and then it is to all intents and purposes a 

 Clove. A floiist terms these r\m '' flowers, and the 

 plants are rejected by him because they cannot be 

 depended upon to produce anything but self-coloured 

 flowers in the future. This is one of many illustra- 

 tions of the singular way in which flowers sport; 

 but the causes operating to tliis end are as yet among 

 the secrets Xatm-e keeps hidden from the children 

 of men. All the Cloves, like some of the stronger- 

 growing Bizarre aad Flaked Carnations, do well in 

 the open air, and make excellent border flowers. 

 "\\Tiile many of them are deserving of pot culture, 

 they are more generally culti\-ated as border plants. 

 They should be planted in a lich, deep, sandy loam — a 

 soil that suits all the Carnations and Picotees — and 

 are increased by layers. 



There is also a gi'oup of Fancy Carnations which 

 are flaked, edged, and striped on dark grounds ; they 

 come between what are known as the Show, and 

 Clove or deep-coloured varieties, and for the sake of 

 ■convenience have been denominated " Fancies." 



The following will be a good selection : — 



Clove Carxatioxs. 



Aura Wilhauis, deep pink. 

 Bride, white. 

 Chieftain, bright crim-ou. 

 Coroner, bright scarlet. 

 Dominie Sampson, ruby. 

 Elegant, reddish-purple. . 

 Euphrosyne, rose. 

 Gl'jire de Xancy, pure white. 

 Hindoo, dark crimson. 

 Lord Koseber}", deep rose. 

 Mary Morris, pure white. 



Miss Wheeler, sulphur an 1 

 white. 



Mrs. Whitmore, bright rose. 



Neptune, purple. 



Pride of Penshurst, bright 



yello^vself. 

 Purple Gem, bright purple. 

 Sultan, rich iDurple. 

 The Governor, blush-white. 

 Vivid, fiery scarlet. 

 W. E. Milner, pure white. 



Faxcy Carxatioxs axd Picotees. 



A. Alleeatiere. 

 iiright Phoebus. 

 Brunnette. 

 Cardinal. 

 Cassandra. 



Enchmtress. 

 Gaiety. 

 George Eudd. 

 Juliette. 

 La Belle. 



Adonis, flaked 1 ri?ht crini. 

 Alice Waite, yellow ground, 



crimson edge. 

 Eurydice, crimson and rosy 



IDurple. 



Flavins, bright yellow, 

 edged scarlet. 



Hector, scarlet and maroon. 



Hon. Mai-y Lascelles, yellow 

 ground, edged crimson. 



Huson Morris, rich crim- 

 son and maroon. 



Janira, yellow and dark 

 maroon. 



Mrs. Mostyn Owen, crimson 



and dark purple. 

 Mrs. W. L. Walker, rose 



and crimson. 

 Prince Hal, plum-purple 



flaked. 



E. Markham Hill, carnation 

 flaked with maroon. 



Siturn, chocolate, purple 

 flake. 



Sir Toby Belch, scarlet and 



maroon. 

 Thomas Page, yellow 



ground, edged with pink. 



