Carnations

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22305, 20 January 1938, Page 6 (Supplement)

Carnations

jggpfe. .beautiful carnations have MV favourites through many ggprsttona. partly because of the ■ftiaistic ‘ perfume. The ■peUt carnation is a cultivated SwSdant of the old cloveMUM gilly flowers, which were K||lb England in very early Ihe pungent scent of SnU still persists in many of the HwgMi grown to-day. For indark red carnation ■Kißcmkham Clove has this KBSt* particularly strongly. The ■Kbfßoohfaam is given because

SjJ*® are carnation nurseries in r**® Bookham, Surrey, England. times the clove-scented tt** l * were used for flavouring this custom gave rise to * Ml name Sops-in-wine, which SSSyßes occurs in poetry of those ISrW* The name “carnation,” is to be a shortened form of •“Word “coronation,” arising from S Custom of wearing coronets '■ °f the flowers for festive ocIRPIt the carnation is a IgMh flower, being much used H|Sji«JUets and for all kinds of jHP**hons. There are very many jHSjot colours and also several mm types of flowers. At Blows these distinct varieties JSM® classed separately. Some j^g* u °ns are self-coloured, • and perhaps the most beautiSg’When a white carnation has a Jgß.ffile of colour round the edges, •JE®Msed as a picotee; these are and effective. Another iKiadudes flowers known as

(By Winifred Chapman)

Fancies, and these may be white or yellow striped with another colour. When the markings are larger than stripes the flowers are termed Flakes. .The' Bizarre carnations have flakes of two distinct colours on white. These three classes all Include many striking and unusual colourings. For decoration, however, they are not as useful as the seifs or the picotees. The foliage of carnations is characteristic. and when the flowers are used for vases it accords well with them, and should be used

more than it is. Gypsophila, which belongs to the same family is often used and is effective, and for certain colours the mauve thalictrum is suitable.

Carnations have three distinctions —they do not form seed unless the flowers are hand fertilised (this is a skilled operation and is usually left to experts); they can be increased by cuttings which strike easily; also by layers, which when properly pegged are much more reliable than cuttings. It is very interesting to raise these flowers from seed, but as the plants do not usually bloom until the second season, you need a stock of patience. But results are nearly always worth while. It is often remarked that the strongest looking seedlings give single flowers, which although pretty, are useless. The weaker plants which might easily be discarded, frequently develop into fine doubleflowered varieties. So you cannot go by appearances altogether, one

often gets the most beautiful blooms during the second season, and the seedlings flower profusely, sending up long, strong stems in marked contrast to the solitary stem, which is usually all that a plant grown from a cutting or layer will produce at first. ' . .. . It has been found that the ashes from burnt paper have a very good effect on the plants, improving them considerably. Earwigs like

the flowers particularly, and can soon destroy them completely if they are not controlled. They pierce a hole in the calyx, and the flowers soon fall to pieces. If you want to catch earwigs the best thing to do is to fill a tin with crumpled paper and invert on a stick. They creep in there to sleep—if they ever do sleep—but frequently not until they have done all the mischief.