1S76. ] 
NOTES ON NEW CARNATIONS AND PIGOTEES. 
55 
storm-stricken plot that ever went by the sweet name of “ garden.” Yet, if there 
were envious men among florists, might this be a very Naboth’s vineyard to 
lovers of the Auricula and the Carnation. 
I wish I could invest with its real interest the history of the little list I give. 
Nothing can do it better than my friend’s plain words. He says :—“ The work 
was begun when I was very young, and the little leisure-time at my disposal was 
only sufficient for me to tend and fertilise my flowers. This had often to be done 
at early morning, when I should have been at rest. I commenced about 1848, 
and purchased my first lot of plants from an unprincipled grower, who took me 
in. I had only three varieties out of the lot correct. From one of these 
(Matthews’ Enchantress) I took my first pod of seed, and from this raised three 
light purples, two of which were destroyed in winter. From the one that sur¬ 
vived I took seed, and raised my first flower for the National, where it twice won 
Premier, and was afterwards lost.” 
In 1859 came his Mrs. Summers, which is still, J. think, sweetest and best of 
heavy purples ; also his Mrs. Hanaford, that, like his Ganymede and others, he 
himself has not room for now. 
If I briefly recount from my own knowledge of the Sheffield seedlings their 
strong points, it will, I hope, be interesting as testimony to the valued quahties 
now gained in the Carnation and Picotee. One unvarying point I mention once 
for all—for it underlies and runs through all—viz., breadth^ substance^ smoothness 
of petcd. Here was the foundation of all. Till he had a model in this, Simonite 
did not begin to build. He laboured first for a good form, quietly waiting in 
all other properties until this most essential one was won. He obtained that, and 
now has worked upon it every edge in Picotees and every striping in Car¬ 
nations. 
His light-red edges not only strengthen a weak class, but revolutionise it. 
They had wanted a pure white, a wire edge, and petals without a bar. They 
have all that now, and to again avoid repetition, the flowers are all full flowers; 
no more thinness of petals either as to number or as to substance. 
Great points attained in bizarre classes are intensity and abundance of the 
maroon, the white pure, and the striping not in timid fragmentary flashes, but 
in bold, handsome, through stripes. This is a fine quality, and a splashy flower 
cannot live against it. 
In the flake classes are lovely new tints of rose and purple, and glorious 
scarlets. Through every class in Picotees, the white of the old double white 
Camellia, a wire edging, and utter freedom from bars have been worked up to by 
one steady hand since 1848. 
I conclude with notes of a few of the future flowers. Some are from Mr. 
Simonite’s own, some from my own notes. I cannot pretend here to tell a tithe 
of what I have seen of them, for there are very many, but I shall be glad if I can 
afford data for memoranda to be made and acted upon as the flowers become 
accessible, 
