THE CARNATION

New Zealand Mail, 29 January 1902, Page 59

THE CARNATION

Second only to the rose in universal Jnlaritv is the carnation. Originally Hiountam plant, it readily accommoitself to very varying conditions, mav be found flourishing equally he garden of the l.umble cot. ZJer as in the many-acred parterre of the wealthy merchant. . . The carnation industry in America is 0 f great magnitude. About 5000 persons are engaged in the business, and it k stated that quite two million dollars are invested in carnation growing. Two and a half million plants are produced “nually in the States, and a rough estimate of the number of blossoms marketed each year by the florists is given at . 60,000,000. The National Carnation and Picotee Society of Great Britain has been twenty-five years in existence, and among its patrons are such distinguished personages as Lord Balfour, Baron Schroeder, Earl Carrington, Leopold de Rothschild, the Baroness Burdett C'outts, Countess C'adogan, and her Grace the Duchess of Marlborough. The president of this 'society is a famed amateur carnation grower, Mr Martin R. Smith, of Hayes, Kent, a gentleman who encourages the growth of his favourite flower by offering very substantial prizes for the best specimens shown at the annual exhibitions of the society. A very successful exhibitor himself, liis name is frequently seen in the prize-list, alongside such noted professional growers as Mr Charles Turner, of Slough; F. Hooper, Batli; and James Douglas, of Great Berkham. At these shows liberal prizes are offered for pot-grown carnations, groups of the same, dinner tables with carnation flowers only, sprays, button-holes and vases of carnations and picotees. There are classes of 24’s, 12’s, 6’s, and single blooms for 6elfs, fancies, bizarres, flakes, and the various sections of picotees. It is difficult to say when absolute perfection is arrived at in any flower. The rose, chrysanthemum, daffodil, and all other popular flowers seem to go on improving, and although the carnation has been in cultivation over 2000 years, and although it has been a popular florists’ flower for a century or so, there is still a lot to be done before it can be said that all has been done that can be done in producing flowers perfect in petal, form, substance, colour, size and fragrance. It is only three years since the wonderful Mrs T. W. Lawson carnation changed hands for the enormous sum of £6OOO, a sum which was devoted by the seller to the hospitals and charitable institutions of Boston, U.S. Mr Silvers, with another splendid flower, named Hannah Hobart, hoped to beat the record with his seedling. Adonis is the name given to a bright scarlet novelty raised by Mr Witterstaetter, of Cincin-at-ti. and who was ten years in developing it. It was accomplished by the f eorient crossings of scarlet seedlings. Indisputable authority states that the raiser sold the stock of this plant for 5000 dollars. Cash prizes of £SO and £2O respectively are often given for the best two seedling carnations by American horticultural societies.

Carnation flowers of little value produce seed freely, but the finest doubles seed very sparingly. By hand fertilising the very best blooms, seed's which will produce 80 per cent, of double flowers may reasonably be expected. but probably not one plant in a hundred will be any better than its parent, if as good. Good showy border

flowers may be raised from seed indiscriminately gathered, bub the best results can only be obtained by careful selection and attention to artificial pollination. The raising of seedling florists’ flowers is fascinating to the enthusiast, and our climate is particularly favourable for the production of choice carnations and picotees. Flowers of a large size often have a split calyx, and this is a drawback. Fragrance should not be lost sight of; form, colour and clear markings, are essential in selecting good parents to breed from. The constitution of a plant should also bo considered; a delicate miffy grower is not worth keeping.