SOME FINE OLD CARNATIONS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 65

SOME FINE OLD CARNATIONS

(R.D., in the “Gardeners* Chronicle.**) It may be noted that the self Carnations, the yellow-ground and whiteground Fancies, ana the yellow-ground. Picotees, have increased by leaps and bounds, and have become very popular. The group of yellow-ground Picotees is of recent origin. The late Mr E. S. Dodwell to the last deprecated making a section of yellow-ground JPicotees, on the ground that the varieties were not numerous enough; but the necessity for doing so was recognised by the National Carnation Society, and since then many fine additions have been made to the group, especially by Mr Martin It, Smith. There is therefore now no difficulty experienced in making up a stand of twelve very fine true vellowground Picotees. The groups of white-ground bizarre and flaked Carnations and of whiteground edged Picotees have had fewer additions made to them, and it does not always follow that the> new additions are improvements upon the older flowers. I liave before me a coloured illustration of scarlet bizarre Emperor, which appeared in the “Florist’s Guide’* for 1850. It was a seedling obtained by Mr JU. Puxley, of Tenby, a noted raiser of Carnations .n his day; and while making due allowance for the exercise of some imagination on the part of the artist, it must have been a flower of large size, of fine substance of petal, and brilliant colouring; the colours are as bright today as when the illustration came from the pencil of the artist. It seeing difficult to imagine a more beautiful flower. It was said at the time to be a variety of good habit and free growth; but. it does not appear to have become generally cultivated; probably the variety possessed some defect of constitution, or it may have shown a tendency to “run” to tho self form.

Having regard to the number of named bi zarre and flaked carnations which have been in cultivation for twenty-five years, and some for a much longer period, one is disposed to ask, “Is any substantial improvement seen in the new varieties which have been put into l commerce during the past twenty years ?” Several of the late Mr E. S. Dodwell’s best varieties of carnations date from 1880 to 1885. I suppose ii can be said that in reference to the properties of substance, purity of ground, smoothness of petal, and brilliancy of colour, there has been an advance ; yet it is interesting to note thar many of the old flowers dating from some half a century, still hold their own in competitions. “Admiral Curzon,” scarlet bizarre, sent ont in 1845. and regarded *>y some cultivators as a weakly flower, is generally found at the top of its class. It is frequently selected as the premier carnation at exhibitions of the flower, and almost invariably finds a place on a stand of twelve and twenty-four blooms. It is the oldest carnation in cultivation. Sarah Payne, a pink and purple bizarre was sent out in 1847, and it was frequently shown in good character during last summer. Mr Dodwell, in his book on the carnation, says of it: —“For refined texture and colour it leaves nothing to he desired. AYell done, and at its best would grace the finest, stand of flowers imagination could paint.” Spoilsman, scarlet flake, dates back to 1855; it originated as a sport from “Admiral Curzon** in the garden of the late Air J. S. Hedderle>, Sneinton, Notts. The flower lost the rich dark colouring, and there remained the scarlet flake on a white ground. Sportsman sprang to the bead of its class in 1855, and at its best remains there, and Vts character is permanently fixed. “J. D. Hextall,” crimson bizarre, a flower which hands down to posterity the memory of a fine old Deicestershire florist, dates back to 1874, and Mr Dodwell thought it to be one of the best six crimBon bizarres. Other varieties date back to the seventies. It has recently been publicly stated that the florist “coddles’* his bizarre and flaked carnations. I suppose the meaning sought to be conveyed is that the plants are subjected to conditions of atmosphere which produce a certain debility of constitution. If this had been stated of the winter flowering and Malmaison types, which are so much grown under glass, there might have been an approach to correctness in the remarks. But it is not at all true of the method of culture adopted by the florist in respect of his carnations. If he stretches an awning over his plants when in flower to protect them from sun and rain there is a free circulation of air on all sides; this is equally true if tho plants are placed in a house for the same purpose, for the side lights are all removed, and abundant ventilation flows in from all Bides. As soon as they go out of bloom the plants are placed in the open, and they remain Here after they are layered. When potted off they are placed in a cold frame and kept close for a few days, and then fully exposed, except in cases of heavy rains or hard frost. During the •winter there is free ventilation except during the oontinuance of severe frost, but artificial warmth is not employed. When potted into their blooming pots they may occupy a cold frame for a short time; then they go into the open air until such time as they come into bloom. The oarnation is cultivated in pots because the finest and most perfect blooms can be obtained only in that way. If a process of “coddling** had been applied to the giants, the varieties Admiral Curzon, arah Payne, and Sportsman would not have survived to this day in healthy condition.