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KoVeMSeb 2, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS* MAGAZINE 



841 



PERPETUAL CARNATION 



ROSETTE. 



■^Xhe activity of the American raisers of 

 carnations would appear to be in no way 

 abated, for they continue to place at the 

 command of cultivators varieties that are 

 at once distinct from or superior to the 

 many and varied forms that are now 

 ireiierally grown. One of tlie most note- 

 worthy of the new perpetual carnations 

 with self-coloured flowers that have had 

 their origin in the United States is the 

 exquisitely beautiful variety Rosette which 

 during the present autumn has been 

 plendidly shown both by Messrs. AUwood 

 Brothers, of Hay ward's Heath. Sussex, 

 and Messrs. Stuart Low and Co., Bush Hill 

 Parkj Enfield. Rosette is one of the most 

 refined of the perpetual varieties, and has 

 the merit of possessing a good constitution^ 

 and being very free in flowering. The 

 flowers are rather above medium size, of 

 exquisite form, and the colour is a delight- 

 ful shade of rose-cerise. Not only is the 

 form of the flowers all that could Avell be 

 desired, but they hai'e an exceptionally 

 good calyx that is wholly free from the de- 

 fect of splitting, a point of no small im- 

 po2~tance in carnations largely used for de- 

 corative purposes in a cut state. The 

 flowers that we have the pleasure of illus- 

 trating were selected from a largo number 

 that were exhibited at a recent meeting of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society by the 

 Messrs. Allwood Brothers, and, it may be 

 added, these were remarkable for their 

 uniformity both as regards elegance of form 

 and attractiveness of colour. 



NOTES ON PERPETUAL 



CARNATIONS. 



A few notes concerning perpetual carna- 

 tions, just before the commencement of 

 the winter season, may perhaps be of in- 

 terest to many. A glance around reveals 

 a great improvement in the size of plants 

 and blossoms, as compare<:l with 1911. This 

 I regard as being partly due to the fairly 

 cool weather experienced last summer, and 

 ])artly owing to the rigid selection of tlu- 

 best and strongest ])huits to i>rovide the 

 cuttings for the present stoc^k. 



The free use of salt spray has prevented 

 any attack of re<l spider, and rust is prac- 

 tically an absentee this season, much to 

 «ur pleasure. This insidious foe is some- 

 what troublesome with growers who ha\'e 

 badly-ventilated houses, or who have a 

 miscellaneous collection of plants to grow 

 in the same houses, but to thase wlio can 

 grow their carnations away from the ordi- 

 nary run of greenhouse plants this fun- 

 goid disease should occasion but little 

 trouble. The great point is to secure an 

 even temperature, })lenty of air circulating 

 amongst the plants, and to use a suitable 

 spray at short intervals. 



The new patent wire plant supports, 

 which can be easily affixed to sleinlcr bam- 

 boo sticks, are ideal for pot plants. Thev 

 ^re decidedly neat in appearnnc*^ aud hold 

 the growths in an erect position without 

 bunching them as one had to when using 

 raffia or other tying Tnat< rial. Moreover, 

 <ine can freely cut the blossoms without 

 trouble or derangement of the growths 



loft. 



l^^or blnssoU'S which split tlie calyx T <\nn 

 heartily oommond the use of the n<nv wire 

 calvx riuLTs. Tliev entirely superstnle the 

 '^'Id rubber iiui:;s. and are nun-h easier to 

 fix, hold the ealyx firmly without pinchin<j;. 

 ^nd, being vei'v thin nnd green in colour, 

 '^ro almost invisible. 



Reverting to other matters, T would urge 

 the free use of lime rubble and crushes] 



oyster shell for incorporation with soil 



for potting purposes, both l>eing splendid 

 agents for imparting health and vigour to 

 carnations. 'J'hey can also be used with 

 ()ther ingre<lients for the purpose of top- 

 dressings. 



A short time back I made a brief appeal 

 for the increase of fragrance in carnations. 

 Many otherwise grand flowers lack this ne- 

 cessary attribute, and it is time that raisers 

 devoted more attention to securing a rich 

 clove-like fragrance in addition to finely- 

 formed, well-coloiu'ed blossoms. To ensure 



one would have to exercise care in 



this, 



the choice of seed 



and pollen pa ren t s . 



Elegance was first among the pinks, and 



that this year May Day was the first 

 to crop fjeely. Tliis is i<leal for i^rliness. 

 Elegance now promivses well, and will not 

 fail us f(u* many months to cnnie. 



Marjoric is by far the earliest a!id freest 

 white I have handled. It is not eo large 

 as the newer American Avhites, but it is the 

 first of all with us, and successional flowers 

 follow very quickly. Hitherto I have not 

 had a poor bloom of this variety, and the 

 stems are stiff, clean, and straight, and the 

 calyx, petals, and form distinctly good. 

 At times it is of the purest white, at others 

 a soft rosv flush suffuses the interior of 



PERPETrAL CARXATloy ROSETTE. 

 A beautiful variety with rich rose-cerise flowers. 



and make 



ami .1."-- an ^^^^ ^'S'^^ 



selection of tlu^ vouno; flowi^ring seedlings, 

 but it would l)e worth whiles A little group 

 of seedlings, flowered for the first nnc 

 during this fast summer (1912), hav.^ 1m on 

 rcmarkahlo tor 



mam 

 funu 



batch 



their fragrance, but the 

 were almost <levoi(l of l>er- 

 A few s]).Mial tornis ^yill be car- 

 ried forward with the idea ot brmging u> 

 a race of peri)Otual varieties wiios<^ 

 strongt^t i>oint shall be fragrance 



Of our standar<l varirtuvs I have this sea- 

 son a-ain noted tliat for quickness to bh>s- 

 soni and for <'ontinuity in flower prodiu t'.on 



the blossoms, but it is always lasting and 



delightful. 



Mrs. Crook, the criiuson fancy, is very 

 continuous, and a small batch is hanlly 

 i^vin- out of flower. I like Hcgina more 

 than ever: it is \ cry tine, free and large, 

 but Kex seems to toliowing Mrs. Hnr- 

 nett. which 1 like tor its c(>li)ur and ptM - 

 fume. Mikado is bein i- iltan ever, .stand- 

 its v\\ al>. (iei.-^lia and 



Fairmount. Ii;rModr cannot .stand against 

 the.se in mv opinion, ami I fancy (ieisha 

 in pai'ticnlaV is coing to l-c verv popular. 

 ' W S. Havwahi). 



in 12; on guaixl ajiainsr 



