THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
JUNE 1, 1903. 
> CARNATIONS, < 
Be 
THE S.A CARNATION AND 
PICOTEE SOCIETY. 
On Tuesday evening, Mry 7th, a well 
attended meeting of Carnation growers, 
convened by Mr. H. Ising, was held at 
the Exchange Hotel, eAdeiide 
Dr. aerate was voted to the chair. 
The chairman called upon the convener, 
Mr. Ising, to state the objects of the meet- 
ing, which he did. The chairman and 
several gentlemen joined in the discussion 
which ensued. The meeting was en- 
thusiastic, and of one mind apparently, 
and from the tone of speakers’ remarks 
generally, the society should be strong 
numerically and in all respects. 
Objects—The following clauses were 
submitted to the meeting and passed :— 
1. To encourage the growing of Carna- 
tions and Picotees. 
2. To encourage the exhibiting of Carna- 
tions and pincenee ab. all horticultural 
shows in a manner to be dealt with by the 
committee of the society. 
3. To old Carnation and Picotee exhi-- 
bitions. 
4. To adopt standards whereby Carna- 
tions and Picotees shall be judged accord- 
ing to their respective classes. 
5. To grant awards of merit and_first- 
class certificates for colonially-raised Car- 
nations and Picotees complying with rules 
laid down by this society. 
Exhibitions—An exhibition shall be 
held between the 20th of October and 
21st November each year, date and place 
te be fixed by the committee, after find- 
ing the average day of full bloom of the 
largest mar Wer of cultivators, who shall be 
‘aageyrilveits of the society. 
The election of officers and committee 
resulted as follows:—President, Dr. Har- 
rold; Vice-President, Mr. H. Ising; Hon. 
Secretary, Mr. D. T. Laurie; Hon. Trea- 
_surer, Mr. T. Fairey; Hon. Auditors, 
Messrs. H. Blinman and R. H. Hein; 
Committee, Messrs. Blinman, J. Beggs, 
Hein, Weidenhofer, Pretty, Sewell, J. A 
Potter, F. Smith. 
~Gos0Geseeoe 
AN HOUR WITH A CARNATION 
SECRETARY. 
MR. HENWOOD, OF THE NATIONAL 
CARNATION SOCIETY, LONDON, 
IS AT HOME. 
[“ The Gardener,” | 
“T have only a backyard!” remarked Mr. 
Henwood as a preliminary, ° ‘but I manage 
All my — 
to do a little in it, as you see. 
Carnations are gr own in pots.” 
“What is your secret of success, Mr. 
Henwood?” 
“My secret? Ihavenone. Yet, stay: 
I have a very deep-rooted opinion that 
the use and abuse of the water pot have 
much to answer for. If you like to call 
it a ‘secret, this fact which everybody 
ought to know, it is that florist’s flowers 
generally, and- Carnations in particular, 
have a strong dislike 
which 
means sour soil, no roots, little 
‘grass, poor plants, and ultimately dead 
ones. I am quite sure that any little 
success I. may have had with both 
Carnations and Auriculas has only been 
gained by paying strict attention to “he 
golden rule of never watering a plant 
until it is dry, and then giving enough to 
soak the ball thoroughly.” 
“You don’t call the Carnation a ‘miffy’ 
plant, then ?” 
““Miffy’? Not at all. Do those plants 
look ‘nifty? ? And he pointed with par- 
donable pride to a fine batch in 10-in. pots. 
“You woudn’t think they were layers Jast 
year, eh? But they were.’ 
“Then how do you think the Rose and 
the Carnation stand with regard to each 
other as the popular flower?” 
The question went home, and _ the 
enthusiast stood revealed if never before. 
“Why, man, everybody would surely ad- 
mit that the Carnation is equally as well 
up as the Rose. My own opinion is that it 
is higher. Look you: we can get Carna- 
tions, and good ones, all the year round. 
Then look at the Malmaison, what a glori- 
ous flower it is since Mr. Martin Smith 
took it in hand. 
“The best Malmaison? Ah!’ And there 
was a wealth of meaning in the mono- 
syllable. ‘Why don’t you ask for the 
best six or eight? But let me see, I think 
that I should vote for Mrs. Martin Smith 
as the best of any variety in general cul- 
tivation. You see, there are others com- 
ing.” and he shook his head mysteriously. 
“Would you care to give me the names 
of twelve varieties suitable for an amateur 
who wants to try his hand at Carnations? Y 
was my next question. 
A. little reflection, and the names came, 
tripping off the tongue lovingly, as if they 
recalled fond memories: “Henry Falkland, 
Lady Bristol, Childe Harold. and Daniel 
Defoe, all yellow-ground Picotees, and 
good ones, too; no ‘miffy’ ones.” That 
word seemed to have stuck. 
“Then Muleteer, Oakley, Duke of Al- 
bany, and Charles Martel make a fine 
auartette of Fancies; while for Selfs I 
should vote for Wild Swan, white; Gil 
Polo, crimson; Bomba, rose; and Regina. 
yellow. All Fats are easy to grow, not 
high in price, and the flowers are of fitst- 
rate quality. 
“Flakes, Bizarres, and Wiiesmeotad 
Picotees? | od not just hy Mr. Martin 
~ hear something 
the limit of its usefulness. 
to over-watering, 
‘vited to view. 
Smith is taking them in hand, and from 
what I know of his thoroughness there will 
be some good new varieties before long.” 
“Now, Mr. Henwood, I should like to 
about your: connection 
with the ‘National’ society.” 
“Well, we are progressing, and I think 
the society has by no means yet reached 
But the work! 
Ah, that is enormous. Here, you see, are 
some of the scciety’s annual réports, sent 
out in 1884—a modest four pages!! Con- 
trast them with the report for 1900—sixty 
pages. That gives you an idea how the 
work grows.” 
“You are asked many questions, T sup- 
pose, from Carnation lovers in various 
parts of the country?’ 
“Questions, my dear sir, don’t mention 
them: they come in by the score, and’ it 
would take me half of every day in the 
year to answer them all properly.” 
It may as well be mentioned here that 
Mr. Henwood has been connected with the 
“National” for upwards of twenty years, 
has been its honorary treasurer for twelve 
years, and its honorary secretary since 
1897. When he first took charge of the 
finances there was a deficit of nearly £3, 
which, in the year following, was turned 
into a balance on the right side of £12, and 
as the years went this ‘balance grew, until 
it reached its highest point in 1899, when 
£229/11/10 represented the surplus. The 
members’ list also shows a healthy growth, 
and, although the South African war thin- 
ned the ranks cf Carnation lovers to a re- 
markable extent—most of us regard the 
Carnationist as a peace lover—the current 
season 1s bringing in many a recruit.” 
With this all in my mind I ventured to 
say: “Your connection with the ‘National’ 
has been a wonderfully happy one, Mr. 
Henwood.” 
“Tt is Mr. Martin Smith,” was the quick 
retort. “No floral society that I know of 
has a president who is so closely identified 
with the work of the society over whose . 
executive he presides. I don’t know what 
we should do without him.” 
From the raiser of new varieties to the 
novelties themselves is not a far cry, and 
here two sturdy plants were pointed out 
to me. 
“See those?” I replied that I did. 
“Well, they’ re going to be ‘eye-openers’ 
presently.” 
“Blue Carnation, ech?” 
“No, no” (this rather sadly), “T am 
afraid that that is impossible. What do 
you think of my Ferns?” 
It does not do to trench too closely upon 
the surprises of the florist. He loves to 
astonish. Meanwhile the camera-wielder 
of “The Gardener” will do well to watch — 
what comes from Reading. 
But to the Ferns, which I had been in- 
“T love a collection of any- 
thing, you know,” was his introduction ; 
and I make bold to say that Mr. Hen- 
wood’s eye is as good for the crested and 
_tasselled beauties of hardy Ferns as for his 
beloved Auriculas and 
“Gilly-flowers.” 
