CARNATION CONFERENCE. 



485 



worth while to briefly note some of the characteristics of the 

 different sections of the flower. 



The Bizarres have two colours disposed longitudinally on a 

 white ground, and are subdivided according to the leading- 

 colours into scarlet, crimson, and pink-and-purple Bizarres. 



The Flakes have one colour, also laid lengthwise on a white 

 ground, and are classed into scarlet, rose, and purple. 



The Picotees have the colour placed upon the edge, and are 

 classed as red, purple, rose, and scarlet edges, and subdivided, 

 according to the depth of the edge, into heavy, medium, and light 

 edges of these colours. 



The above disposes of the flowers with distinctive markings on 

 white grounds, and these are ordinarily termed the " class flowers." 



A wide section is embraced by the term Fancies, which takes 

 in all the flowers with markings on coloured grounds, and also 

 those too indistinctively or indefinitely marked on white grounds 

 to entitle them to a place among the class flowers. 



Most familiar of all are the Selfs, the flowers of one colour, 

 embracing almost every tint but blue. 



To those little acquainted with our " class flowers " as they 

 are called, it may seem somewhat strange that we should call 

 the Picotee a section of the Carnation. The word "Picotee," 

 meaning " pricked," " spritted " or spotted, describes the original 

 type of flower from which first our Bizarres and Flakes, and 

 much later — indeed within living memory — our present all but 

 faultless Picotees have been obtained. The florists' Picotee of 

 eighty years ago may be seen in the illustration given by Mad- 

 dock of " the flower of a fine variegated pink Picotee " in his 

 work on florists' flowers published in 1810. The original form 

 of the flower is familiar enough among those resulting from any 

 packet of Continental seed purchased to-day. 



The actual process of evolution by which our Bizarre and 

 Flake Carnations and our modern Picotees have been got by 

 select seeding from the pricked and spotted flower, according 

 as the tendency has been shown to longitudinal or marginal 

 marking, may be seen going on now in the case of the yellow- 

 ground flowers, which, till lately neglected by raisers, will be 

 made in time, out of the same spritted and spotted forms, to 

 yield us Bizarres and Flakes, and edged Picotees, as has already 

 been done in the case of the white-grounds. 



