July 19, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
G1 
The first house that I saw contained splendid plants, and I said, 
"Do you layer from these, and at what period of the year?” The 
answer I received was to the effect that the growths were too weak. 
I must confess I should have considered them strong enough for me. 
The plants from which Mr. Bennett propagates were raised from layers 
last July. There were numbers of these plants producing one large 
flower stem each, all being remarkably strong. The best of these are 
repotted, the remainder being turned out of their pots into frames that 
have produced Potatoes and Violets. After the layers are well rooted 
they are potted and grown through the winter in a span-roofed house 
on the side beds not far from the glass. These plants are finally placed 
into 6 and 7-inch pots, in which I saw them. Some of these plants are 
reserved for layering and others are placed in 10-inch pots, and it is 
from the latter that flowers during the winter and spring are obtained ; 
in fact, I think I am correct in saying they 
are never without the blooms of Malmaison 
Carnations at Rangemore. All the plants 
flowering, with the exception of the young 
stock, are in 10-inch pots. 
The compost used for potting is two parts 
good loam, the other part being made up of 
peat, leaf mould, and coarse sand. Tbe soil 
is pressed firmly, and the pot is slightly fuller 
than one is generally in the habit of seeing. 
The plants are watered with great care, and 
no doubt some of the success is due to this 
attention ; they are never allowed to suffer by 
an insufficient supply, and at the same time 
they are never over-watered. The aim is to 
keep the soil in an intermediate state for mois¬ 
ture, as near as it is possible to do so. The 
plants are not fed by the aid of liquid manures, 
but when they have rooted abundantly in their 
pots Clay’s fertiliser is occasionally applied to 
the suiface of the soil. 
Mr. Bennett does not believe in plunging, 
and it is not practised only where the side beds 
do not allow sufficient height for the plants. 
They are never syringed, only the material on 
whieh the pots stand, and even this merely 
when it becomes dry. In many cases the plants 
stand upon gravel or wood trellises just above 
the gravel on the surface of the beds. The 
atmosphere of the house is cool, airy, sweet, 
and rather dry. 1 forgot to inquire whether 
shading was practised. 
In addition to Malmaisons, Winter Cheer 
appears to be largely grown, a number of plants 
had fine blooms upon them, while others were 
being placed in 10-inch pots for winter flowering. 
These had been propagated by cuttings in the 
spring, and had stood in cold frames for a time 
and were being plunged in lengthy boxes filled 
with ashes for the summer. I may repeat that 
Carnations are splendidly grown at Rangemore, 
and so are other plants of which something may 
be said at some future time. The diseases to 
which Carnations are subject are strangers to 
Mr. Bennett. I wish I could say the same.— 
Wm. Baedkey, Osmaston Manor, Derby. 
Bordek Carnations at Chelsea. 
Now that the popularity of the border Car¬ 
nation is so rapidly spreading, it behoves those 
admirers of these charming plants to pay a 
visit to Messrs. Jas. Veitch & Sons, Royal Exotic 
Nursery, Chelsea, where they will no doubt see 
many varieties worthy of adding to their collec¬ 
tion. At present there is a display of flowers 
as has not been excelled, perhaps not equalled, 
at these nurseries during many years. The 
plants have made strong growth and are throwing 
numbers of perfectly developed blooms, rich in colour and superb in 
form. Last year this collection, with many others, was severely handi¬ 
capped by the drought, and consequently the flowers were not seen at 
their best; this season they have not had such a formidable foe to 
contend with, and are as a consequence immeasurably superior. For 
upwards of a fortnight the sight has been a grand one, and for another 
ten days it will be worth a long journey to see; but after that the 
beauty of beds as a whole will commence to pass away, and only the 
later flowering kinds will remain for the visitor to see and admire. 
Amongst these latter Winter Cheer must be classed, for at the present 
time there is scarcely a flower of this variety to be seen, while in the 
course of a week or two some of the innumerable buds with which the 
plants are crowded will begin to expand and continue to do so right 
through the summer and far into the winter months. Equally as 
floriferous as under pot culture, this is one of the varieties which should 
be seen in every garden. 
So numerous and of such excellent quality are the varieties now in 
commerce, that a selection likely to meet the tastes of everyone is some¬ 
what difficult to make, but taking as the chief desiderata form of 
flower, habit of plant, substance of petal, and scent, a few may be 
named as standing well above their fellows. Let us first look at the 
border varieties possessing self, or at least very distinctive colours, 
amongst the best of which may be named Ketton Rose. This variety is 
well named, for it is of a true rose colour, with broad petals, forming a 
grandly shaped flower. The habit, too, is good, and tbe blooms are 
borne with great freedom. A charming flower, likely to find favour 
with many lovers of Carnations, is found in Beauty of Foxhall, the 
cjlour of which is a pleasing lively purple. The plant is a very fine 
grower, dwarf and free, and the flowers are beautiful in shape. For a 
salmon rose Laureatte will be difficult to surpass, which is excellent in 
contour and freedom of flowers. The broad petalled blooms, borne in 
profusion, of Florence E. Thoday arc of the purest white, and splendid 
in shape. Another pure white of much merit is Mrs. Donaldson, of 
which the blooms are large, and possessed of charmingly fringed petals. 
Lothair has satiny-rose-coloured flowers, of which the calyx is, unfortu¬ 
nately, somewhat prone to split. The shape leaves little to be desired, 
though in point of freedom of flowering there are many far superior. 
One of the very finest of the numerous pure white kinds is Mrs. Frank 
Watts. Sturdy in habit, perfect in shape of bloom, with broad sub¬ 
stantial petals, this is a variety worthy of universal popularity. _ A 
bright crimson coloured sort is found in Meteor, the flowers of which 
are borne in very large numbers. If a brilliantly hued scarlet kind is 
wanted Joe Willet is the one to grow. Freedom of flowering is not the 
only good point about it, as will be admitted when the fact of the colour 
not fading under the influence of the sun is pointed out. One of the 
best Carnations for bedding purposes is the now well-known Border 
Maid. The plant is very dwarf, extremely floriferous, and the colour of 
a bright rose, shading with age and the rays of the sun to alrnost white. 
Cava Roma, rich maroon in shade, large in size, symmetrical in form, is 
a really grand variety, and the same may safely be said of the salmon- 
rose coloured Queen of the Bedders. Ruby cannot be said to be truly 
named, for the colour is a rich cerise, which, however, fades very much 
