THE CARNATION AND PIOJTEE. 



253 



scarcely room to be found in the flower garden for Carnations ; they were crowded out into 

 some out-of-the-way corner of the kitchen garden, and I have even known a gardener 

 apologise for growing them at all, with the remark' that they were useful as cut 

 flowers. The same gardener pointed with pride to scores of beds filled with scarlet 

 Geraniums, yellow Calceolarias, purple, rose, and scarlet Verbenas, and even pounded 

 bricks and stones of different colours were laid down to till the beds, while the Carnations 

 were biding their time in some obscure corner. As the gardeners were fully occupied 

 with tlie culture of the tender bedders at the dictate of fashion, the culture and 

 propagation of the Carnation was neglected. The layers were not attended to, and as 

 a result the plants became less robust in constitution, many choice varieties passed 

 out of existence, and others reverted to a semi-wild condition. Another cause was the 

 preference shown by some growers for what are termed show Carnations, that is, the 

 Bi/arres, Flakes, and Picotees. This section of the Carnation is better adapted for pot 

 culture than to form masses of colour in the open garden. That this type can be well 

 grown and flowered in the open garden is beyond question, but they require a properly- 

 prepared flower bed and the skilful hand of the trained florist. The florist still holds to 

 these as the highest, and, indeed, only type of the Carnation worthy of his attention ; 

 and many of the most pleasant hours of my floral experience have been passed in listening 

 to and joining in the conversation of such expert growers as the late Mr. Charles Turner of 

 Slough, the late Mr. E. S. Dodwell, and two who are happily with us, Mr. Ben Simonite of 

 Sheffield, and the Rev. F. D. Horner of Burton-in-Lonsdale. Such men as these never 

 allowed their love for the Carnation to decline even in the most degenerate days, and to 

 them we owe in a measure the beautiful varieties now in cultivation, for be it known that 

 many of the self-coloured varieties produced ten vears ago or more were seedlings from 

 Flakes, Bizarres, or Picotees. 1 have raised scores of beautiful self-coloured flowers from 

 all these classes. One of the best was a large, rich, purple-coloured flower of fine form, 

 named Purple Emperor. The parent of this Carnation was Her Majesty, a Picotee ; the 

 flowers of this variety are pure white, except that the margin of the petals are marked 

 with a line of purple colour ; the line is as if a hair or fine wire w ere drawn round the 

 margin of each. This purple colour was developed fully on every petal. Rose-margined 

 Picotees will produce self's of a rose colour, and red or scarlet-edged Picotees will all produce 

 self-coloured flowers as in the margin. In like 

 manner will the Flakes and Bi/arres give self- 

 coloured flowers from seed of all the colours 

 contained in them, maroon, scarlet, crimson, 

 pink, purple, rose, etc. 1 have made this state- 

 ment because a great number of amateur culti- 

 vators of the Carnation have an idea that if 

 they obtain seed from a variety of Carnation 

 the seedlings produced from such seed will be 

 reproductions of the parent plant; this, of course, 

 is wrong, and it is as well to mention it. 



BORDER KINDS. — The great charm to 

 many in growing Carnations is to have flower 

 beds filled with them. Now to grow Carna- 

 tions well they must have good soil, or the 

 plants will not produce flowers or layers lor 

 another season. The soil must be well drained, 

 so that the surplus water may pass freely away 

 in autumn and winter. Unless this is the case L 



the plants are liable to be attacked by "spot" balmoral. 



