1870. ] 
THE PERPETUAL CARNATION. 
89 
THE PERPETUAL CARNATION. 
HE cultivation of tliis flower is a subject of sufficient importance to claim 
a small space in your pages, for although it has been spoken and written 
upon occasionally for some years past, there has been but little done as 
regards the practical application—the growing part of the question. 
Although various attempts have been made, they have generally resulted in the 
production of a few plants, which are kept somewhere in the background, where 
they yield still fewer flowers, mildew, canker, wire-worm, (fee., being made to bear 
the blame. For about ten years, and from a few dozen plants, I was never with¬ 
out flowers through the winter, but the most magnificent plants I saw were grown 
by Mr. Barnes, late of Bicton; each plant was a specimen. 
Mr. Howard has given a very sensible article on the subject (see p. 12), but 
here we like dwarf compact plants in preference to those of 4 ft. in height, and 
we stop them several times, so that they do not require staking either when in 
the ground or when potted. I used to strike them round 3-in. pots, which is the 
best plan when a few hundred only are needed; but here we strike them by 
the thousand in the sand-bed of a propagating house, like Verbena cuttings, only 
they are about three weeks instead of two in rooting. We pot them off in 
thumb-pots, plant them out early in May, and take them up and pot in 7-in. 
pots in September, in a mixture of dung and loam. They are watered and 
shaded for a few days, and then have all the air which it is possible to give 
them, until cold weather sets in. We give as little fire-heat as possible during 
the winter, as the flowers come finer without it. We give abundance of water, 
with guano-water occasionally. 
The bulk of the plants are planted in the same kind of soil, on benches near the 
glass, and these do best, with less trouble, and yield an abundance of cut flowers 
and plenty of cuttings. Carnations, like Tuberose flowers, are sold by the flower- 
girls throughout the year. 
The varieties grown in this country are mostly American, and many of the 
sorts are better growers and freer bloomers than those I grew in England. 
There are dozens of varieties, but I only mention a few of the best sorts, that is, 
the best growers and freest bloomers, for perfection in form is not so desirable 
as quantity;— La Purite\ ruby colour, very free and fine, grown by tens of 
thousands; General Grani^ white,' first-rate; Flathush, large white, very fine; 
Defiance^ large crimson; Zebra, large red; Sunset, pink-striped maroon, free, but 
a straggly grower ; President Degraw^ good white, very free, but a loose grower, 
wants staking, much grown ; Miniature^ white, sometimes striped rose, very dwarf 
and free; Astoria^ yellow, scarlet, and white, very sweet, good and distinct; 
Amabilis^ fine large pink, varied with rose and white. 
Of the above varieties, such as La Purite and Degraw, there are here houses 
hundreds of feet in length filled through the winter, and then occupied with 
