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JOUIiXAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



your soil and climate ; cross them judiciously, do not over-feed 

 or coddle them, and undoubtedly you will reap a rich reward. 



Do not be satisfied with growing " trees " and " Malmaisons " 

 under glass — anybody can do that — but apply yourselves to the 

 more difficult task of raising for yourselves and for futurity a 

 race of thoroughly hardy Carnations. 



THE CARNATION FROM A BOTANICAL POINT OF VIEW. 

 By Mr. F. N. Williams, F.L.S. 



Having been asked to say a few words on the subject of this 

 exhibition, I propose to lay before you some facts concerning the 

 botanical origin and history of the species from which our culti- 

 vated Pinks have been derived. I have to confess at the outset 

 that I am afraid I know very little about Pinks from a horticul- 

 tural point of view ; I therefore leave that part of the subject to 

 those better qualified to discuss it. One or more species were in 

 cultivation in this country as early as the reign of Edward II., 

 and were favourite garden flowers until the middle of the 

 eighteenth century, when they seem to have gone very much 

 out of fashion. Of recent years, however, their culture has 

 been revived, and they have been again installed in their position 

 as a favourite florists' flower. 



As to the wild species, their number may be reckoned at 

 present at rather under 250. I should say that nearly 1,000 sup- 

 posed species have been described from the time of Linnaeus ; 

 but this number has been considerably lessened by the process of 

 reduction to varieties and forms, and by the disappearance of 

 many specific names in the maze of synonymy. It is remarkable 

 how frequently the same plant occurring in different localities 

 has been recorded under several specific names, and fully 

 described in almost the same words, for the confusion of subse- 

 quent workers and for adding to the cumbrousness of synonymy. 

 I will first of all speak of Pinks in general, and then of the 

 different species which have been selected for cultivation. The 

 five principal species from which the cultivated forms are derived 

 are D. barbatus (the Sweet-william) ; D. deltoicles (the Maiden 



