THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March. 29, 1890. 
47rf 
Carnation Gossip. 
My old friend, Mr. William Waidill, of Luton, who is 
in all respects the living embodiment of an enthusiastic 
“ Carnationist,” writes me in reference to his seedling 
Carnations, and says :—“ My seedlings are up strong, 
and looking remarkably well. I sowed the seed in 
boxes on the 5th of March, and placed them in a vinery, 
where the seeds germinated very freely indeed ; and 
soon I shall prick them off into boxes, and place them 
in a cold frame, so that they can grow on into size. I 
hope to plant out in beds in the open in May, and the 
young plants will be given the protection of mats for a 
short time. By this means I get good strong plants to 
place in their blooming quarters at the end of Sep¬ 
tember or early in October. I find by experience that 
if I sow late in March or early in April instead of at 
the earlier date, the plants bloom so much later, and, 
indeed, too late to afford an opportunity of layering 
the grass of any varieties of especial merit. 
“Then, again, I find by sowing in the autumn after 
the seed is ripe I really gain nothing, but actually lose 
a great deal, as the young plants are so very apt to 
damp off during the winter. Half of those I raised 
from seeds sown last August damped off after being 
planted out in the open ground at the end of November ; 
while the plants raised from seeds sown the April 
previous are so far behind plants sown at an earlier 
date in the beginning of the year that I am afraid one 
half of them will not flower.” There is much truth in 
what my old friend states, and gardeners are finding 
out the great advantage of early sowing. 
One experience of my own in reference to sowing 
Carnation seeds, if recorded, may prove useful to your 
readers. I had by me some Carnation seeds saved from 
fine flaked and bizarre varieties, and also from yellow 
grounds in 1887, which proved one of the best seasons 
for saving Carnation seeds we have experienced during 
the last decade. I am happy to state that out of 
twenty-five seeds of each every one appears to have 
germinated ; but the seeds have been kept in glass 
bottles closely corked, and in a uniform temperature in 
a cool dry place.— R. D. 
The Florists’ Laced Pink. 
It was not my intention to have followed up this ques¬ 
tion, but “Wild Pink’s” further explanation so 
completely supports my contention, that I feel bound 
to appeal for liberty to encroach a little further 
upon the dolumns of this paper. At p. 378, he says 
most imperatively and unreservedly that the two 
species, i.e., the Pink and Carnation, are very distinct 
botanically, and may be distinguished from one 
another by the foliage alone, and that the leaves of D. 
Caryophyllus (Carnation) are smooth on the edges, also 
larger and broader ; whilst the edges of the leaves of 
the Pink are finely serrulate. Now, I have already 
stated that Pinks have been grown by me with foliage 
as wide as any ordinary Carnation foliage, and with 
perfectly smooth edges (p.426). “Wild Pink” now 
admits that not only are these exceptions in this 
respect, but that there is actually a Carnation of the 
present day with its leaves rough on the edges (serru¬ 
late). His botanical distinctions therefore utterly fail, 
and maybe buried in oblivion. [Not necessarily.—E d.] 
In proceeding with his article he “mends worse,” 
for he says, “Florists of 100 years ago were in no better 
position to define the origin of the Pink or Carnation 
than those of the present day, for the simple reason 
that the origin is lost in obspurity." How was it then 
he presumed so positively to denounce the authorities 
quoted by Mr. Paul unless he was prepared with cor¬ 
roborative proof 1 He also says, “ Loudon states that 
the Pink as a florists’ flower is of less antiquity than 
the Carnation.” Now, this remark applies to the Pink 
not having been cultivated as a florists’ flower, and not 
to its age or origin. Then, again, he quotes Loudon 
as stating that the “ Pheasant’s-eye ” was derived from 
D. plumaris, but this author does not say that the 
“ Pheasant’s-eye” is the origin of the “ Florists’ Pink.” 
But there is something else he does say, which “ Wild 
Pink” omits. I will quote it. Loudon says, “ D. 
Caryophyllus is considered the source whence have 
sprung the numerous varieties of the Carnation, and 
some think also those of the Pink." “ Wild Pink ” also 
states that he fails to find any authority on British 
flora who distinctly affirms that either the Carnation or 
the Pink is a true native of Britain, and yet he quotes 
for other purposes Syme’s English Botany, The 
Student’s Flora of the British Islands, Hooker, Babbing- 
ton’s Manual of British Botany, kc., all of which 
include D. Caryophyllus as a British plant. He also 
says that in the 7th edition of Withering’s British 
Botany D. plumarius is omitted altogether. Why 
should he be surprised at this, seeing that D. plumarius, 
according to his own statement, is not a British plant ? 
James Donn, and Loudon distinctly state D. Caryo- 
phy! lus to be a native of Britain ! The references “Wild 
Pink” makes to Hogg’s and the. Paisley Muslin 
Weavers’ numerous varieties I piss, as they are foreign 
to the dispute. 
In conclusion, the Rev. G. E. Smith (quoted in 
Hooker’s British Flora, published 1838), says, in 
reference to D. caryophyllus, “It varies with the limb 
often bearded, and rarely with a beautiful deep purple 
bar at the base of the limb.” Surely this purple bar 
means the purple eye of the Pink ! Although there is 
nothing edifying in this discussion, it will have the 
effect of bringing once more before our friends, the fact 
that the florists’ laced Pink still exists.— James 
Thurstan, Finsbury House, Richmond Road, Cardiff. 
-- >X< -- 
AMARYLLIS AT CHELSEA. 
Year by year reveals some fresh improvement on this 
class of plants, and no one who had seen the originals 
could have imagined that the present results would 
have been obtained by horticultural skill. Most of the 
original species and varieties from which the present 
race has been obtained may now be seen in the 
nurseries of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, along¬ 
side of the modern giants. A light orange small- 
flowered sort named Hippeastrum croceum grandiflorum 
produced another named Graveanum, which, being 
crossed with H. brasiliense, brought the Empress of 
India, and that crossed by H. Leopoldi, has given 
rise to The Champion, the finest of the modern race. 
Of course, between the last two there have been several 
intermediates, the finest of which have been successively 
selected. 
Self-coloured Yarieties. 
Most of these have a white or greenish white star at 
the base, so that it will be unnecessary to repeat it in 
each case. The Champion must, of course, be con¬ 
sidered as the finest of the race of these garden 
Hippeastrums, popularly known under the name of 
Amaryllis. The flowers are of a brilliant crimson- 
scarlet, expanded almost flat, and measuring 10 ins. 
in diameter. The outer segments are about 3| ins. 
across, each sufficient in itself to make a good flower. 
Nearest to this comes Conqueror, not yet in flower, and 
John Ruskin, a charming light scarlet variety of the 
same type. The others have a longer tube, with the 
segments more or less recurved at the tip, and tho 
flower is something between funnel-shaped and cam- 
panulate—nearer the latter, because they are widely 
expanded. Attraction is crimson, with prominent 
white bands along the centre of the segments. Dromo 
is crimson-scarlet, with the crimson much intensified 
on the basal part of the segments. Robin Hood is 
somewhat similar, but the crimson is not intensified in 
the throat. A blackish crimson sort, named Armata, 
has the basal star of a more intensified crimson, and 
looks handsome in sunlight. The latter and Helemes 
is somewhat smaller than the above mentioned, but the 
flowers of Helemes are of a bright scarlet. A variety 
named Illustrious has brilliant crimson-carmine flowers, 
shaded with rose in the tube, and is distinct from every¬ 
thing else in the house. It carries six blooms on one 
scape, and is flowering for the second time. Erato is 
something in the way of Dromo, but differs in the 
shading. H. M. Stanley seems a floriferous sort, as it 
bears two scapes, each with four flowers of light scarlet, 
with darker veins, and of great size. 
For want of a better term, we describe Marcellus as 
an intense claret, with a deeper crimson tint towards 
the base, and shaded with rose at the tips. King Lear 
runs up with a scape 3 ft. high, bearing four large 
intense crimson flowers. Cicero we must describe as 
velvety crimson, with four large bell-shaped flowers on 
a scape. Another fine crimson-scarlet sort is Cortina ; 
and Exquisite is similar, but has deeper-coloured veins. 
A charming little flower is Nonpareil, which has 
crimson-scarlet flowers of beautiful shape and brilliancy, 
and flowered for the first time last year. It is a 
seedling from King of the Crimsons, a narrow-tubed 
flower of great brilliancy, crossed with pollen of 
Bellona, a bell-shaped and richly-coloured flower. The 
scape of both parents does not exceed 12 ins. or 15 ins., 
and King of Crimsons bears four flowers on a scape. 
Ne Plus Ultra is an old variety with large crimson 
flowers, one of which had seven segments, with a 
smaller one below the base of the bloom, as if it were 
making an effort to become double. The scape of 
Haidee at present is only 6 ins. high, and the flowers 
of a brilliant crimson ; while those of Gigantea are 
crimson-scarlet, of great size, and four on a scape. 
Shaded, Striped ard Light Yarieties. 
The self-coloured flowers are certainly magnificent, but 
the varieties that are striped or netted with some bright 
colour on a light or white ground will always find a large 
number of admirers. The flowers of Egeria are closely 
suffused with pale orange on a white ground ; those of 
Chimberazo, which flowered last year for the first time, 
are shaded with scarlet on a rose ground. A beautiful 
flower is Juno, lined and suffused with light scarlet on 
a pink and white ground. The same may be said of 
Juvantes, which is scarlet with crimson veins. More 
striking in this way is an older kind named Milton, 
the flowers of which are beautifully reticulated with 
scarlet and crimson on a white ground. It bore twelve 
large flowers on two scapes, about 15 ins. high. 
Another floriferous old kind is Mirabella, striped and 
suffused with intense scarlet on a white ground. 
Aberona is noteworthy on account of the prominence of 
the greenish star at the base, above which the flower is 
lined with crimson and tipped with scarlet. Dorothy 
has large, expanded flowers, reticulated and suffused 
with scarlet on a white ground. Lacinia, Sciphis, 
Phtedro, and Arion are something in the same way, 
but lighter, and generally having the greater part of 
the lower segments white. 
Her Majesty is the purest white as yet, but is lightly 
lined with red or scarlet chiefly on the upper segments. 
The Duchess of Fife is a finer flower, as far as shape is 
concerned, with much broader segments, and a few 
scarlet lines on the upper ones. It is quite new, and 
will, no doubt, improve in purity when fully expanded. 
Another light sort is Clarinda, having the tips of the 
segments only tipped with red. A charming little 
flower is Yista, which is white, with six crimson rays 
in the throat breaking up into numerous hues of the 
same colour on the lower part of the segments. The 
crimson rays converging to a point give one the 
impression of looking down a vista. At present there 
are about 1,800 flowering buibs at Chelsea, bearing 
over 2,000 spikes of bloom ; and in the course of a few 
days they will be much more numerous. The foliage 
is finely developed this year, giving the whole a very 
effective appearance. The greater number of the 
above-mentioned kinds, except where otherwise men¬ 
tioned, are flowering for the first time. 
-- 
LEEK CULTURE IN SCOTLAND. 
Several methods of growing Leeks are practised in 
different parts of Scotland, one or other method being 
adopted according to the quantity grown, and the pur¬ 
pose for which the leafy stems are wanted. In private 
establishments a very common method is simply to sow 
seed in the permanent position at once, frequently 
alongside the main crop of spring sown Onions, giving 
the Leeks exactly the same treatment as the latter, with 
the exception perhaps that the ground is less firmly, or 
not trodden at all. This is done in February or March 
according to the state of the weather and the ground. 
Snow storms and frost of considerable severity may 
occur after the seed has been committed to the ground, 
but no harm results to the crop. The one thing on 
which stress has to be laid is the condition of 
the ground when the operation is accomplished ; 
because, if wet, it will assuredly get puddled, and not 
only work badly, but afterwards become skinny and 
baked in dry weather, and prove altogether unsuitable 
for the healthy growth of the plants. Sowing thus 
early gives all the advantage the short season and the 
Scotch climate will afford. 
The plants are simply thinned out to 6 ins. or 9 ins. 
apart, as soon as they show which are coming away 
vigorously. As the days begin to shorten towards the end 
of August and September the plants grow away rapidly, 
and continue to do so while the weather remains open. 
They continue to be pulled for immediate use as a pot¬ 
herb through the autumn and winter months ; then 
in spring when vegetables are getting scarce, especially 
after a severe winter, the Leeks come in as a pleasant 
change and a wholesome dish. When the weather 
becomes mild again considerable increase in growth is 
made, and the plants, although green and otherwise 
unsuitable for exhibition purposes, are, by the time 
they become useless, of considerable bulk. 
Another method is to utilise the thinnings from the 
ordinary sowing for making fresh plantations, in order 
to blanch them by a certain process of treatment. 
Rather wide and deep holes are made in well-prepared 
ground by means of a blunt dibber or a trowel. The 
roots of the Leeks are somewhat shortened if the plants 
