August  12,  1897 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
147 
-  The  Tomato. — The  Tomato  is  rich  in  possibilities  in  the  hands 
of  a  skilful  cook.  It  can  enter  into  and  give  tone  to  endless  soups  ;  it 
can  be  made  into  purees  and  sauces  and  stews  ;  it  can  be  eaten  au 
gratin,  with  maccaroni  or  vermicelli,  and  en  salade.  There  is  no  reason 
why  it  should  not  be  seen  more  often  on  our  breakfast  tables.  Carefully 
grilled,  and  placed  on  slices  of  grilled  fat  bacon,  it  makes  a  delicious 
dish.  Then,  again,  we  can  stew  it,  place  it  at  the  bottom  of  a  dish,  and 
gently  deposit  thereon  poached  eggs  ;  or  we  may  vary  this  by  placing 
scrambled  eggs  round  a  pyramid  of  stewed  Tomatoes.  Farcie  they  can 
be  introduced  at  breakfast,  lunch,  or  dinner  ;  and,  as  a  writer  justly 
points  out,  ''  farcie  Tomatoes  may  not  easily  be  surpassed.  Upon  your 
whim  or  choice  it  will  depend  whether  you  stuflE  them  or  cut  them  in 
half  for  so  ineffable  a  purpose.  And  upon  your  whim  likewise  depends 
the  special  forcemeat  used.  Chopped  Mushrooms,  Parsley,  and  Shallot, 
seasoned  with  discretion,  leave  little  to  ask  for.  Prepare,  instead, 
sausage  meat,  Garlick,  Parsley,  Tarragon,  and  Chives,  and  the  Tomatoes 
so  stuffed  yon  may  without  pedantry  call  a  la  Grimed  de  la  Reyniere, 
But  whatever  you  call  them,  count  upon  happiness  in  the  eating.” — 
(“  Epicure.”) 
CARNATIONS  AND  PICOTEES. 
In  writing  about  Carnations  and  Picotees  it  behoves  one  to  wield  a 
reverent  and  careful  pen,  for  these  are  "  florists’  flowers,”  and  thereby 
hangs  the  red  light  of  danger.  Your  average  florist  is  a  worthy  fellow 
enough,  and,  to  give  him  his  due,  he  is  whole-souled  in  his  desire  to  foster 
and  improve  the  flower  of  his  choice  ;  but  he  must  be  indulged  and 
humoured,  bis  work  must  be  criticised  with  caution,  and  his  hobby  must 
not  be  tilted  at  recklessly.  He  sets  up  a  certain  standard  of  excellence  ; 
he  institutes  given  points  of  merit,  and  according  as  results  approach  or 
deviate  from  these  so  follows  approbation  or  condemnation.  But  let  us 
deflne  the  term  florist  a  little  more  clearly.  The  suburban  amateur  will 
tell  me  that  there  is  a  man  along  such  a  road  who  calls  himself  a  seeds¬ 
man  and  florist,  and  who  entices  irresolute  dyspeptics  by  announcing 
“  Cucumbers  fresh  cut  from  the  vine,”  or  those  on  the  look  oat  for  some- 
thing  bright  and  economical  for  the  flower  garden  with  an  announcement 
of  “bedding  plants  for  sale  cheap.”  Is  this  the  kind  of  man  referred  to? 
No  I  The  florist,  as  I  wish  him  to  be  understood  now,  is  a  specialist, 
whether  amateur  or  professional  mat  ers  not;  In  years  gone  ny  he,  or 
his  predecessors,  has  taken  in  hand  some  particular  flower,  and  has 
,  worked  it  up  on  clearly  defined  lines  to  a  point  atwhich  it  would  hardly 
be  recognised  by  the  one  who  commenced  with  it.  The  Rose  is  an 
instance,  the  Carnation  a  second,  the  Pansy  a  third.  Improved  varieties 
have  been  raised,  and  to  these  names  have  been  given,^ntil,  in  some 
cases,  they  are  numbered  by  hundreds.  Naturally  they  are  not  all 
markedly  distinct ;  but  points  of  difference  can  be  found  by  the  trained 
eye  when  the  varieties  are  compared.  Perhaps  some  readers  will  have 
beeii  a  little  surprised  in  sending  a  Rose,  a  Pansy,  a  Carnation,  an 
Auricula,  a  Calceolaria,  a  Petunia,  or  a  Cineraria  (all  these  are  florists’ 
flowers)  to  be  named  to  find  themselves  referred  to  a  notice  that  florists’ 
flowers  cannot  be  named.  Editors,  they  may  have  thought,  know 
everything.  In  a  general  way  they  do,  but  after  what  has  been  said 
about  the  weakness  of  florists  for  manufacturing  infinitesimal  distinctions 
and  then  giving  names  to  them,  it  may  not  be  so  much  a  matter  of  sur¬ 
prise  for  the  human  encyclopaedia  to  decline  making  himself  acquainted 
with  every  detail  of  their  doings. 
There  caniiot  be  the  smallest  doubt  that  immense  good  has  been  done 
by  the  specialist  or  florist — call  him  which  you  will— in  improving  many 
of  our  most  useful  flowers.  Could  every  reader  of  these  lines  look  upon 
the  progenitors  of  some  of  the  most  beautiful  and  valued  flowers  that 
adorn  their  gardens  to-day,  they  would  not  be  able  to  withhold  a  tribute 
of  admiration,  and  even  of  respect,  for  the  patient  and  careful  toil  of 
generations  that  has  led  up  to  such  results.  Now  that  the  culminating 
point  has  been  reached  a  little  artificiality  creeps  in.  This  is  not  sur¬ 
prising.  The  florist’s  watchword  is  progress,  and  we  must  try  to  forgive 
him  if,  now  the  apogee  of  excellence  is  reached,  he  establishes  points  of 
naerit  which  are  not  gained  by  legitimate  natural  development,  and  are 
therefore  added  by  artificial  means.  With  Carnations  and  Picotees  the 
perfect  show  bloom  must  be  circular,  with  regular  tiers  of  petals  over¬ 
lapping  each  other  and  rising  to  the  centre.  Of  course  the  geometrical 
exactitude  is  not  there  as  the  flower  is  cut  from  the  plant,  and,  as  it  is 
indispensable  for  prizewinning,  ivory  implements  are  brought  into 
requisition  to  dispose  the  petals  in  the  required  form.  Opinions  differ 
as  to  whether  this  is  excusable.  The  florists  have  done  so  much  for  us 
that  it  would  be  ingratitude  to  denounce  them  strongly  ;  but  assuredly 
it  is  not  gardening  to  restrict  a  plant  to  one  bloom,  to  adopt  every 
imaginable  means  of  securing  a  perfect  flower,  and  then  to  resort  to  such 
means  as  have  been  indicated  for  improving  its  shape.  What  is  it  but  a 
confession  of  failure  ?  It  has  been  criticised  repeatedly  and  severely  in 
the  past  by  those  who  plead  for  more  natural  treatment,  but  it  is  abmlute 
waste  of  time  and  thought,  of  ink  and  paper,  to  attack  the  practice  of 
dressing  flowers  and  pass  unnoticed  the  points  in  the  attainment  of 
which  the  practice  gets  its  rise.  This  does  not  apply  to  Carnations  only, 
but  to  Roses,  Dahlias,  Chrysanthemums,  and  nearly  every  other 
prominent  florists’  flower.  While  certain  qualities  are  recognised  in 
adjudicating  upon  the  merits  of  a  bloom,  and  these  qualities  can  be 
added  or  heightened  by  artificial  manipulation,  dressing  will  go  on,  and 
if  not  practised  openly  it  would  be  practised  secretly.  The  cause  must 
be  looked  to,  not  what  is  really  only  an  effect.  Truly  a  little  common 
sense  is  sadly  wanting. 
To  those  who  cultivate  Carnations  and  Picotees,  as  they  cultivate 
other  flowers,  solely  for  the  adornment  of  their  greenhouses  and  gardens, 
the  dressing  bubble  and  other  burning  questions  of  the  exhibition  tent, 
can  only  awaken  a  smile.  Who  need  vex  his  soul  about  a  misplaced 
petal — misplaced,  that  is,  according  to  the  florist’s  ruling — when  he  can 
look  around  his  garden  and  see  a  thousand  beautiful  blooms  brightened 
with  a  hundred  hues,  graceful  and  sweet  enough  for  the  most  refined 
home  ?  He  can  be  grateful  for  what  the  florist,  has  done  in  the  past  in 
raising  so  many  admirable  varieties,  and  utilise  them  freely  for  his  own 
purposes.  The  great  value  of  the  Carnation  lies  in  its  adaptability  for 
outdoor  and  indoor  cultivation,  and  from  the  fact  of  its  doing  well  in 
town  gardens.  It  should  be  a  comforting  thought  to  every  townsman 
that,  if  he  cannot  grow  the  Rose,  this  great  flower  is  not  forbidden  to 
him  too.  Visits  to  country  gardens  may  reveal  to  him  what  he  loses  from 
the  impurities  of  his  own  atmosphere,  not,  sometimes,  unmingled  with  a 
touch  of  sadness  awakened  by  the  splendour  of  the  Rose  or  the  modest 
but  powerful  charms  of  the  Violet ;  there  is,  however,  consolation  in 
the  thought  that  if  his  sphere  of  work  is  limited,  there  are  within  the 
bounds  some  of  the  noblest  treasures  of  Nature’s  exhaustless  store  from 
which  the  purest  and  richest  pleasure  may  be  derived.  If  in  respect  to 
the  Carnation  the  most  recent  examples  of  the  improver’s  handiwork  are 
not  coveted,  there  still  remain  innumerable  free-flowering  and  useful 
varieties  with  which  beds  and  borders  may  be  enriched.  Their  names 
might  not  awaken  interest  in  the  florist,  nay,  they  may  own  no  names  at 
all,  but  their  beauty  and  perfume  are  there  just  the  same,  and  in  the 
sick  chamber  or  the  drawing  room,  not  less  than  in  the  garden,  they  will 
worthily  fill  their  allotted  place. 
To  those  dwelling  in  country  districts,  and  quite  unfamiliar  with  the 
general  character  of  town  gardens,  it  would  seem  superfluous  to  plead 
for  still  wider  recognition  for  this  valuable  hardy  flower.  Ttiere,  every 
cottage  plot  has  its  Pinks  and  Carnations,  common  varieties  enough, 
but  serving  their  purpose  well.  In  town  enclosures  it  would  be  a  real 
pleasure  to  meet  with  the  commonest  of  them  all.  The  thousands  who 
find  pleasure  and  benefit  from  growing  flowers  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
our  great  towns  are  but  a  tithe  of  the  vast  population  there — a  huge 
mass  of  humanity  unleavened  by  a  single  refining  influence.  It  would 
be  a  great  thing  if  these  could  be  taught  what  flowers  could  do  for 
them.  Carnations  will  flourish  where  many  tough  things  in  the  way  of 
plants  fail  to  thrive,  and  are  capital  flowers  for  tempting  the  lazy  or 
heedless  into  a  start  in  gardening  life.  As  is  known,  they  will  do  very 
well  in  common  soil,  and  present  no  difficulties  of  culture  to  quench 
budding  ardour. 
An  easy  way  of  getting  up  a  stock  of  plants  is  by  raising  them  from 
seed.  So  simple  is  this,  and  so  satisfactory  the  results,  that  it  is  not 
easy  to  understand  why  it  is  not  more  general,  at  all  events  among 
amateurs.  Possibly  the  expensive  nature  of  choice  seed  acts  as  a  deter¬ 
rent  ;  but  if  the  catalogues  are  carefully  scanned  it  will  often  be  found 
that  mixed  seed  of  border  varieties  is  offered  at  a  fourth  or  fifth  the  rate, 
and  from  this  plenty  of  plants  can  be  raised  well  adapted  for  adorning 
modest  borders.  Seed  sown  one  year — and  the  earlier  the  better — will 
produce  excellent  flowering  plants  the  following  summer.  1  have  seen 
many  laden  with  flowers  about  fifteen  months  old,  but  if  sown  in  summer 
the  plants  will  still  bloom  the  following  year.  The  seed  is  best  sown 
in  shallow  boxes  with  a  piece  of  glass  placed  over  the  top,  in  a  shady 
corner  of  the  garden,  and  the  plants  pricked  out  before  they  have 
time  to  crowd  each  other.  If  extra  strong  plants  packed  with  flowers 
are  required,  sow  under  glass  in  February  or  March,  keep  the  plants 
stubby  and  sturdy,  and  when  planting  out  time  arrives  they  will 
have  a  long  season  of  growth  in  which  to  store  up  energy  for  a  future 
display. 
Easily  as  Carnations  are  grown  it  is  not  advisable  to  neglect  them. 
After  flowering  they  become  crowded  and  woody  if  not  attended  to. 
Far  the  best  plan  with  any  approved  varieties  is  to  layer  them  while  the 
growths  are  young  and  succulent,  and  these  layered  portions  will  make 
better  flowering  plants  the  following  year  than  their  parents.  As  a  rule 
several  flowerless  shoots  can  be  found  towards  the  base  of  the  plant. 
Place  a  mound  of  soil  round  each,  draw  down  the  shoots,  tongue  them 
by  pressing  the  blade  of  a  sharp  knife  about  halt  way  through  the 
growth,  and  then  turning  its  direction  and  making  a  parallel  incision  in 
the  shoot  about  an  inch  long,  ending  just  through  a  joint,  and  peg  them 
to  the  mound  with  hairpins,  pressing  the  cut  part  into  the  soil.  Roots 
will  form,  and  in  about  six  weeks  or  two  months  the  shoot  can  be 
severed  near  the  old  plant,  and  the  young  one  left  to  cater  for  itself  in 
future.  If  a  frame  is  possessed  the  young  plants  may  be  lifted,  potted, 
and  wintered  in  it ;  if  not,  plant  them  where  they  are  desired  to  grow. 
These  purchasing  Carnation  plants  can  do  so  either  in  autumn  or  spring, 
as  they  may  be  planted  at  either  season, 
I  do  not  propose  to  enlarge  upon  the  florists’  distinctions  in  the 
present  article.  As  Carnations  and  Picotees  are  the  flowers  of  the 
season,  so  they  are  treated  upon,  and  as  border  Carnations  are  grown 
in  a  hundred  gardens  where  there  is  but  one  devoted  to  show  flowers, 
so  the  flowers  of  the  majority  must  be  thought  about  first.  Shows  may 
assist  in  the  work  of  education  ;  but  after  all,  the  best  lessons  are 
learned  from  the  cultivator’s  own  home  plot,  and  the  greatest  pleasure 
is  derived  from  the  results  of  his  own  work.  Whoever  makes  a  garden 
attractive,  in  however  simple  a  way,  is  in  some  sense  a  teacher,  and  he 
has  reason  to  be  proud  if  he  produces  something  from  which  an  example 
may  be  copied,  and  encouragement  derived  by  a  beginner  anxious  to 
follow  in  the  same  pleasant  path. — P. 
