THE CENTURY ROOK OF GARDENING. 



sown a few rich prizes may be expected — that is, flowers 

 showing an advance in form or colour upon those 

 already in existence. It is a fascinating pursuit, watching 

 for the flowers to expand in anticipation of a beautiful 

 creation in colour, something perhaps that will earn 

 the possessor fame in the world of horticulture. Sow 

 the seed whenever purchased ; but the two best months 

 for sowing are March and April. If a house with a 

 temperature of about 6odeg. is available, place the 

 seed-pots in that ; but a gentle hot-bed, or the green- 

 house, or even a common inverted frame, will suffice. 

 The hot-bed may be made excellent use of for this 

 purpose. Sow in pots or shallow pans filled with light 

 soil, and put plenty of crocks in them for drainage. 

 Merely cover the seed with soil, and when the seedlings 

 are sufficiently large to handle with comfort, prick them 

 out in boxes, and when about 5m. high plant out into 

 the bed, from which the worthless ones may be removed 

 as they flower. This is the trial bed ; but seedlings vary. 

 Remember that the Carnation is perfectly hardy, and 

 needs no coddling treatment. It may be associated with 



planting in spring select March for the work. Choice 

 varieties from cuttings or layers put down in autumn 

 should be kept in a cold frame during the winter, given 

 abundance of air, and planted out in spring. 



Picotees. — The selfs are of one shade of colour, w hilst 

 the Bizarre is distinguished by a stripe of scarlet, crimson, 

 or pink and purple upon a while ground, and the flake 

 Carnation is white with one stripe, rose, scrrlet, or 

 purple. One may readily see these characteristics at an 

 exhibition of Carnations, where they are frequently shown 

 in little paper collars, an ugly way of showing a beautiful 

 flower. The Carnation is a delightful plant lor the 

 amateur, and the choice fancy, and other classes which 

 are scarcely happy in the open garden may be grown 

 in pots, a method described in the chapters upon indoor 

 plants. 



Selfs. — George Macquay, white, a sturdy, free, and 

 beautiful variety for grouping; Murillo, brilliant red; 

 Uriah Pike, an ugly name for a Clove flower, free, 

 fragrant, rich crimson in colour, and does not split its 

 calyx ; Raby Castle, a pretty salmon rose flower, very 



A BED OF CARNATIONS. 



Tea Roses, or grouper) in the border ; and the pure 

 selfs are the most effective, a fine crimson variety, 

 tor instance, creating a splendid colour picture, far richer 

 than many suppose. The Carnation should be regarded 

 always as a good garden flower, and be planted largely 

 for its silvery growth, its fragrant flowers, and its 

 effeciiveness when freely grouped. 



The Carnation is divided into several classes, or races, 

 as a visitor to a Carnation grower will at once notice. 

 There are Bizarres, flakes, Painted Ladies, fancy, 

 Malmaison, tree or perpetual, and even if they fail 

 to approach the standard of excellence required for the 

 exhibition, are pretty garden flowers. 



Carnations in the Garden. —A good Carnation for the 

 garden should be of strong growth, and bear sturdy 

 flower stems supporting flowers of full form, good colour, 

 and not split, i.e., the petals held well within the 

 calyx, never hanging over the sides as if bedraggled. 

 Fragrance, too, is a sweet virtue. The soil should be 

 sweet, a good friable loam, for instance, mixed with 

 wood ashes and a little well -decayed manure, and when 



free in every way ; Duchess of York, flesh ; Mrs. Frank 

 Watts, white ; Amy Robsart, deep scarlet ; Andromeda, 

 yellow ; Asphodel, rose pink ; Elgin, white ; Sir Isaac, 

 rich yellow ; The Cadi, scarlet ; Endymion, salmon 

 pink ; Exile, deep rose ; King Arthur, crimson-scarlet ; 

 Mephisto, crimson ; Nox, very dark crimson ; Seagull, 

 blush ; Garville Gem, heliotrope ; Ketton Rose, rose 

 pink ; Paradox, scarlet ; Cantab, crimson, very fragrant ; 

 and Miss Audrey Campbell, yellow. The yellow 

 Carnations are the least satisfactory in growth of any 

 varieties. 



Fancy Varieties. — Amberwitch, yellowish buff, streaked 

 with rose lilac ; Artemis, scarlet, streaked and flaked 

 with lavender ; Brodick, yellow ground, flaked rosy red ; 

 Czarina, yellow, marked with scarlet ; Oliver, buff, 

 heavily edged and spotted with crimson ; Cardinal Wolsey, 

 yellow ground, heavily marked with red ; Don Juan, buff, 

 flaked and streaked with purple ; George Cruickshank, 

 orange buff, flaked crimson ; Perseus, rich yellow, edged 

 and streaked with orange red and lilac ; Miss Mackenzie, 

 buff, flaked rose; Zrngara, yello>\, heaviiy barred and 



