772 
THE GABDENING WOBLD 
August 3, 1889. 
The Carnation. 
On the occasion of the exhibition of the Southern 
Section of the National Carnation and Pieotee Society, 
July 23rd, Mr. Shirley Hibberd gave a brief discourse 
on the origin of the florists’ Carnation. He began by 
assuming as a starting-point that Dianthus caryophyllus 
is a pure species, and the parent of all Carnations and 
Picotees. It has, on the other hand, been assumed by 
certain botanists that the Carnation is of mixed descent 
and a mere mongrel of the garden. Some such belief 
must have prevailed in the days of Shakespeare, for 
Perdita’s objection to Carnations as “Nature’s bastards” 
was intended to be understood by the mixed audience of 
the theatre, and it suggests not only the prevalence of 
the belief, but perhaps also the popularity at that time 
of the Carnation as a garden flower. The wild forms 
of Dianthus that might by any possibility be regarded 
as the parents of the Carnation are three in number 
only : The Sweet William may be regarded as the 
garden form of Dianthus barbatus, the Pink may be an 
improved edition of Dianthus plumarius, and the 
Carnation differs in no essential particulars from the 
wild form of Dianthus caryophyllus, though larger, 
fuller, richer, and immensely various in colouring. In 
its general character it stands distinctly apart from 
D. barbatus and D. plumarius as free from any taint of 
other blood, and Perdita’s objection has no scientific 
truth ; it is mere sentimentalism. The wild Carnation 
is registered as occurring at Rochester, Deal, Norwich, 
Rouen, and places thence southward to the Mediter¬ 
ranean. Bentham ignores it as a British plant, and 
Watson reports that D. plumarius has been mistaken 
for it, which is not surprising, seeing how nearly alike 
they are under some circumstances. But D. caryo¬ 
phyllus is constant in its characters (which were 
described), and it never produced Pinks nor Sweet 
Williams, however degenerate the seed might be, while 
as to time of flowering, it did not usually bloom until 
the Pinks and Sweet Williams had finished their season, 
a sufficient reason for their so seldom appearing side 
by side in exhibitions. We have mule Pinks, but no 
mule Carnations ; all the several forms of the flower, 
whether Cloves, show flowers, fancies, or “tree” 
Carnatisns, were true to the leading characters of the 
species, the limits of variation being apparently sharply 
defined by nature. 
As to the age of this flower, we have a pretty clear 
history of it for 300 years, but it is more likely to be 
1,000 than 300 years old as a garden flower. Turner 
in 1550 spoke of it as less the child of nature than the 
product of the labour and the wit of man, a statement 
that certainly suggests that long ere Turner’s time the 
florists had operated on the flower, and made it 
beautiful and popular. Beckmann’s assertion that 
floriculture in Europe dates from the middle of the 
sixteenth century is simply ridiculous, for Turner and 
Shakespeare are witnesses to the fact that in their time 
certain flowers that had been long under cultivation, 
and had thereby been modified to suit the fancies of 
the florists, were no rarities, but were common in 
English gardens. A reasonable assumption in regard 
to the estimate of the flower by Turner is that it had 
been in cultivation as many years as have passed since 
he wrote the Herbal we now so greatly value. This 
assumption extends the career of the flower as a garden 
favourite to a period of 700 years. We may reasonably 
imagine its introduction to be coeval with the corona¬ 
tion of Richard of the Lion Heart, and this idea leads 
to another, that the Carnation was possibly introduced 
to Europe and this country by the Crusaders. It is, 
moreover, of importance to note that the Carnation 
was valued by the ancients for the flavouring of 
beverages, and this consideration gives a clue to the 
meaning of the assertion of Pliny in his 25th book, 
that the Cantabrica was obtained by the Romans from 
Spain in the days of Augustus, who entered on the 
consulship on January 1, b.c. 33, which carries back 
the history of the flower as nearly as need be to 2,000 
years. When Gerard published in 1596, Carnations 
were plentiful in gardens, and he records obtaining a 
yellow variety from Poland through tha kindness of a 
friend. Parkinson, publishing in 1629, speaks of the 
varieties as being so numerous that to describe them 
would be an endless task. Moreover, those figured by 
Parkinson are of great size and variously spotted and 
striped ; in fact, so far removed from the wild form of 
D. caryophyllus as to assert for themselves long occu¬ 
pation of the garden as subjects of the florist’s patient 
care. Rea, in his Florilege, 1676, gives a list of 360 
sorts, remarking that they were raised in Holland, and 
brought thence to London. 
Lately (said Mr. Hibberd) I have submitted to 
certain friends a list of 320 varieties of Carnations that 
were conspicuous in prize lists in the year 1822, and 
these friends declare there is not one of them in culti¬ 
vation at the present time. And yet the improvement 
—or say alteration—of the flower is accomplished but 
slowly. The varieties figured by Parkinson show how 
in his time the stripes were 'passing outward to the 
edge to form the Pieotee; and the bizarre Carnation, 
figured in the Botanical Magazi'ne in the year 1788, is 
of such high quality that it might be put on the show 
table to-day with a fair chance of winning, proving 
that 100 years of work do not greatly affect the flower 
as regards its technical qualities, a fact strikingly 
illustrative of its possible high antiquity. And yet 
through the long period of its occupancy of the garden 
we have no evidence that at any time it has deviated 
in any degree from its typical characters as to suggest 
hybridisation; all the varieties we hear of and see 
appear to be genuine representatives of Dianthus 
caryophyllus alone ; they are varieties resulting from 
cross-breeding without the aid of other blood. True 
hybrids of the Carnation may be said to be unknown. 
The lecture was illustrated by plants and diagrams 
of an interesting nature, one object of which was to 
demonstrate that the wire-edge Pieotee had been formed 
in precisely the same manner as the edged Auricula, by 
the gradual pushing out of the colour to the edge, and 
refining it there from radial spots to a sharp close line. 
—From the Gardeners' Magazine. 
-- 
THE TULIP TREE. 
Thanks for the kindly notice of our noble tree the 
Liriodendron tulipifera, which is, as Mr. Downing 
said, “the most stately tree in North America.” 
What Mr. Gaut remarked is wonderfully true, but 
not absolutely so, or at least wholly so. In its 
“native heath”—dense woods—it is as straight as a 
column, remarkable among all other deciduous subjects, 
and as a timber tree it is exceedingly valuable. There 
are two distinct varieties of it, which are more marked 
than with many species of other genera. One kind 
has soft yellow fine-grained wood, fit for almost any 
work, and is generally used for piano legs, particularly 
carved ones, as no other wood takes a stain so well, no 
matter what wood is to be imitated. It is quite 
amusing to hear the dealers call white-wood piano legs 
“ solid rosewood,” which they do almost invariably. 
The wood is also used for nearly all purposes, except 
for shingles, and is more valuable than any of our soft 
woods. Your notice does not over-estimate its size. 
Not long since a tree was cut in the Maumee Valley 
which made a stick 60 ft. long, 54 ins. by 48 ins. 
square, and entirely free from knots. 
The other variety is commonly called White Poplar ; 
the wood is soft, tough and stringy, exceedingly liable 
to warp or twist, and is only used in the most common 
cabinet work. The variation in the species is said to 
be brought about by the soil, which, if dry, gravelly 
and elevated, produces the white wood, while if rich, 
deep and rather moist, the yellow timber. Our ob¬ 
servation does not confirm this opinion, having seen 
the two varieties growing within a few feet of each 
other under the same conditions in all respects. 
As a road-side tree either variety is desirable ; the 
foliage is pleasing in summer and exceedingly rich in 
autumn, while in colour it is next to our Maples. In 
addition to size and form, which are perfect, its flowers 
are remarkable for their beauty. Its growth is rapid, 
and is absolutely free from insect enemies.— C. L. Allen, 
Floral Park, New York. 
-- 
HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS 
IN FLOWER. 
Verbena Aubletia. 
Since the greatly-improved garden forms of this genus 
have been more widely disseminated less attention has 
been given to the hardy or half-hardy species, which, 
if not so refined as their more-favoured congeners, are 
still capable of producing a large quantity of flowers, 
and of brightening the herbaceous border. Like the 
bedding varieties, the flowers are here produced in 
dense corymbs, and vary from lilac to deep purple or 
red. The ovate leaves are more or less deeply divided. 
Propagation can be effected by cuttings. 
Rudbeckia purpurea. 
The comparative scarcity of this plant in gardens may 
no doubt be easily accounted for by its slow rate of 
increase by lateral extension. Unlike C. lucida, R. 
laciniata and others, it cannot be rapidly multiplied 
by division, and must be as little disturbed as possible, 
for it dislikes being moved when once established. 
Recourse might be had more frequently to propagation 
by seeds, thereby allowing the old plants to get 
thoroughly established. The large heads and long 
purple rays would be most effective in a mass, whereas 
a few stems are all that can be seen in most cases 
where the plant is grown at all. The leaves are lance¬ 
shaped or oval, and the stems vary from 2J ft. to 4 ft. 
in height. 
BUPTHALXIUM COKDIFOLIU1I. 
Amongst the bolder-growing herbaceous plants now in 
flower, this one, better known under the name of 
Telekia speciosa, must not be overlooked. Under 
favourable conditions the stems rise to the height of 
3 ft. or 4 ft., and is to this genus what Inula Helenium 
is to the other species of that genus. Their vigour 
under favourable conditions gives them a tropical 
effect, rendering them highly suitable for the sub¬ 
tropical, the wild garden, or the back line of an 
herbaceous border. The heart-shaped leaves and the 
golden yellow flower-heads attain handsome dimensions. 
Tritonia Potsii. 
The flowers of this species are much smaller or less 
expanded than those of T. aurea, but are none the 
less attractive on account of their lively colouring. 
They are produced in a two-ranked spike, which, 
before the flowers have attained full size, is nodding at 
the tip. The perianth is curved, funnel-shaped, bright 
yellow, and heavily suffused with red externally. 
The foliage is copiously produced as in the case of T. 
aurea, and forms a fine background or setting for the 
flowers. It is hardy in light well-drained soils, and 
flowers freely every year. From its having been dis¬ 
seminated under the name of Montbretia Potsii, it is 
better known by that appellation in gardens than by 
the name above given. 
POTENTU.LA ARGYROPHYLLA. 
The silvery leaves of this species have given rise to the 
specific name ; and the application is more appropriate 
to the under than the upper side, which is often 
almost white. This species has been largely used in 
the production of the double, semi-double, and other 
improved kinds, that are now more or less widely 
diffused in gardens. They would, no doubt, become 
more popular if their habit were better. Under 
conditions favourable to good growth, the flower-stems 
are more or less procumbent, and require careful 
staking and tying to make them appear sprightly. 
This fault is, however, common to a great many 
species, and militates against their extensive cultivation 
in gardens where neatness and order are expected to 
prevail. The typical form has yellow flowers, and is 
seldom cultivated outside of botanic gardens ; whereas 
V. a. atrosanguinea has found its way into many 
gardens. Its flowers are of a dark crimson, and well 
shown off against the hoary or greyish white foliage. 
Centaurea macrocephala. 
The merits of this species lie in the great size of the 
yellow flower-heads, which are borne singly at the 
apex of the strong erect stems. It produces perhaps 
the largest flowers of any, and presents a somewhat 
curious appearance, on account of the mass of ragged, 
colourless and dry scales surrounding the flower-head, 
and crowded under the mass of yellow florets. The 
oblong-lanceolate leaves are of great size, and are 
crowded, not only at the base, but thickly clothe the 
stems right up to the flower-heads. 
-- 
PLANT DECORATIONS. 
The call for Palms and other decorative plants is 
decidedly on the increase, and they certainly are a 
most attractive feature in decorations supplied by the 
florist. A pair of handsome Palms judiciously placed 
adds an effect which is always admired, and the use of 
these stately and graceful plants in conjunction with 
arrangements of flowers gives the florist a much wider 
field in which to display his skill. A common error is 
to use them too freely. The parlour, church, or 
banquet hall should not be turned into a conservatory. 
While half a dozen specimen plants placed at effective 
points around the room are admirable, to mass them 
thickly everywhere is not only a waste of plants, but 
results in the creation of a heavy, sombre effect, which 
should be avoided. The too free use of flowers alone is 
equally objectionable ; but when the more brilliant 
colours of the flowers are softened by contrast with the 
beautiful green of the Palms, the effect upon the eye is 
pleasing without soon becoming tiresome, as is apt to be 
the case where great masses of flowers alone are used. 
