75 2 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 5, 1908. 
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Sdiicmai, 
ft fatuous ’Raise? of CamUoas. 
Most gardeners who grow Carnations 
are quite content to use one small packet 
of seed each year with the hope of 
raising something new and distinct, 
if not better, from anything else 
already in cultivation. The late 
Martin Ridley Smith, of The Warren, 
Hayes, Kent, whose death recently all 
lovers of Carnations will regret, com¬ 
menced cultivating Carnations about 
twenty years ago, with the view of im¬ 
proving them, and made a journey to 
Germany, where he picked up all varie¬ 
ties that seemed most suitable for giving 
the improvement which he had in view. 
His fame at first rested upon the large 
number of fine varieties of the new type 
of Malmaison Carnation and seifs for 
border culture. Indeed, when he first 
came under our notice he was giving valu¬ 
able prizes at the shows of the National 
Carnation and Picotee Society with the 
view of encouraging the cultivation of 
border Carnations with improved varie¬ 
ties suitable for the purpose. Self border 
Carnations were practically of very minor 
importance in those days, as the florist 
of the olden times encouraged chiefly the 
show Carnations and Picotees till the late 
Mr. Smith discovered the value of self 
coloured varieties for border culture and 
garden decoration. 
The Carnations which appeared at the 
Chiswick shows and conferences were 
neither very numerous nor very impor¬ 
tant compared with a similar show at the 
present day, but they were a commence¬ 
ment or response to the encouragement 
offered by Mr. Smith, who was for some 
time the pr< sident of the National Carna¬ 
tion and Pi .otee Society. Having got a 
good few of he best varieties then exist¬ 
ing, he set to improve them, his number 
of seedlings annually increasing until 
they reached twenty thousand. This will 
give some idea of the immense amount of 
time and labour that must have been ex¬ 
pended in the crossing of the best varie¬ 
ties with a view to raising new and better 
kinds than those already existing. 
He afterwards turned his attention to 
the improvement of the yellow ground 
Picotee in order to bring it up to the 
same state of perfection as the white 
ground Picotee. For a hundred years or 
more the yellow Carnation and Picotee 
had proved to be of more delicate consti¬ 
tution than any of the other types, but 
with! perseverance and an intelligent 
selection of the most suitable varieties, he 
gradually infused a strong constitution 
into not only these, but all the other 
types of Carnation which he raised. In 
1907 we passed through several of the 
houses entirely devoted to the selected 
new varieties, and found Mr. Smith still 
as enthusiastic as ever over his favourite 
flower. In the course of a number of 
years the result of his labours might have 
been seen in the stands of most exhibi¬ 
tors at the annual exhibitions, showing 
how thoroughly he had done his work. 
He brought some of the yellow Picotees 
to as great perfection as ever the white, 
and it is to be regretted that his labours 
have been so suddenly terminated when 
the master -was just reaping the fruits of 
his hands. No doubt, the improvement 
will continue in other cultivators’ hands, 
whereby the yellow ground Picotees will 
be made as numerous as the white ground 
varieties. For some years past a num¬ 
ber of the yellow ground Picotees have 
been allowed to pass muster, although not 
up to the same delicate perfection as tl 
white ground type. Nevertheless, ct 
tivators should be able now in the cour 
of a few years to multiply the varied 
that may be truly considered yelk 
ground Picotees. 
The type to be aimed at is to get tl 
rose, crimson or scarlet colour confim 
to a narrow rim at the margin witho I 
any bar or speck of that colour upon tl 
yellow ground. Nor can we forget th 
Mr. Smith introduced some of the me 
remarkable fancy yellow ground Carn 
tions. This type is characterised b” ha 
ing very numerous markings and lines 
shading of some colour all over the yellc 
ground, but in such a manner as to ha 
monise and make a flower that is real 
beautiful. 
Before closing this reference to tl 
master-hand in Carnation raising, we d 
sire to lay before our readers two of the 
beautiful types, practically selected 
random from hundreds of his raisin 
Lady Gascoigne is a yellow groui 
Picotee nearly 4 in. in diameter, ai 
having a light rose edge on a rich veilc 
ground. It has more than once bet! 
the premier bloom in this class at tl 
Westminster Show of the N.C. and P.S 
and has also had more than one first-cla 
certificate. Linksman is quite of anoth 
type, being a fancy yellow ground Carn 
tion densely covered all over with crimso 
stripes on a clear yellow ground. Whe| 
we saw it growing in pots at The Wai 
ren, the young shoots or grass were 12 ii 
to 16 in. long, showing how easily tfc 
variety could be layered. No doubt tt 
shoots would be shorter grown undt 
ordinary conditions out of doors, but tfc 
grass in most of the varieties sent ov 
Yellow Ground Picotee Lady Gascoigne. Maclaren and Son:, 
