121 
from tbe white or yellow ground, sometimes with the limb spotted or marked 
with the same or a different colour. French Fancies — IS’o importance is 
attarhed to the presence or absence of fringe to the end of petals. 
The French Fh^rist arranges as — Grenadins — Flowers of medium size, 
single or double, fringed, unicoloured, deep purple, violet, or verging upon 
chestnut brown, ail very fragrant. Flatnands — Flowers large, more or less 
double, very round, raised or convex in the centre; petals quite entire; 
unicoloured or banded longitudinally with two or three distinctly defined 
colours or lints upon a white ground. Fancies — These are subdivided into 
German and English. Petals, either toothed or not, but marked or .striped 
with two or three different colours upon a yellow ground of various shades 
in the former, and wholly white in the latter. 
Another writer says — The characteristics of a good Carnation are as 
follow : — The pod (?.e., calyx) should be long, as then the flower is not liable 
to burst it, as is the case when it is short. The flower should be quite 
circular, and rising up gradually towards the centre, so as to form half a 
ball. The outer or guard petals should be large, and tew in number, rising 
slightly above the cal^x, then spreading horizontally; and the other petals 
should be regularly oisposed on them, nearly flat, and diminish in size 
towards the centre. The texture of the petals should be thick and wax-like, 
and them arkings distinct and clear, the ground a pure white, any flushing or 
running of the colour being a decided disqualification. Classes — There are 
three distinct classes, viz. — Bizarres, Flakes, and Selfs. The Bizan*es have 
a clear ground, variously marked and flaked with two or three colours ; of 
these there arc crimson, scarlet, and pink-purple varieties, each cliaracterised 
by the distinguishing colours predominating. Flakes have a pure ground, 
flaked with one colour, of which there are scarlet, purple, and rose varieties. 
Selfs should be one coloured, in any shade, but the more defined, the more 
eff ■ ctive they are. — Diet, of Gard. 
diseases of plants, and EOW to CHECE: THEM.— 
This one writer well defines as that state of the organism in which all the 
organs are not performing their functions in accordance with nature. The 
causes of these diseased conditions in plants may be classed as follow : — 
1. Parasitic fungi and other plants, such as the Dodder, Mistletoe, and 
including that curious loot parasite Balanophora Jungosa ^ which attacks the 
roots of the scrub trees in Tropical Queen.eland. 
2. Insects causing galls and fissures in the leaves and bark, as well as 
wounds of any description. 
3. Poisonous gases in the air or soil, as well as any poisonous material 
so placed as to affect the nutrition. 
4 Atmospheric or other conditions so affecting the plant as to alter the 
conditions of nutrition by giving a redundancy or deficiency of air, light, 
moisture, warmth, Ac. 
Under these heads most of the so-called diseases of plants find a place. 
Aphides on Eose-busbes in the Open Ga&den. — The following forms 
a good wash to destroy these and similar iruects : — | lb. of tobacco waste, or 
say 6 lb. of green tobacco leaves, well boiled, and added to about 10 gallons 
of water ; this to be sprayed over the plants. Plants growing in pots may 
be treated thus Place the decoction in a tub, invert the plants, and dip 
them into the liquid to the edge of tlie pots. They are then shaken to and 
fro, to ensure that every insect gets its share of the dip. This makes them 
very sick ; and if the plants are left for a quarter of an hour standing to dry, 
the insects die. Then the plants can be rinsed with clean water, and be 
placed back on the benches. 
BoEHEArs Mixture, The Origin op. — Great discoveries are frequently 
made by accident, or, at least, by indirect means. It appears that the 
mixture of copper-sulphate and lime, which is proved to be so valuable for the 
Vine-mildew, Peronospora, Potato-mildew, as well as for insects, was first of 
all used in the vineyards near Bordeaux to keep off thieves 1 The outer 
