There are four chief types of carnation—the border carnation, which is grown in flower beds out of doors and blooms in summer; the perpetual - flowering carnation, which is cultivated in pots under glass and blooms all the year round, though chiefly in autumn, winter and spring; the annual carnation which flowers in summer from seeds sown in spring; and the Malmaison.
The border carnation is a fine old English flower of which many charming new varieties have been raised in recent years. It flourishes best in well- drained soil; on heavy land it is a good plan to raise the carnation bed (i or 8 in. above the ground level, so that the plants are not waterlogged in winter. Well-dug soil with which a little decayed manure and mortar rubble have been mixed suits them. In most gardens planting is best done in September or October, in very cold districts the plants are wintered in a frame and planted in March.
Border carnations are propagated by layering the shoots in July. The layers will be well rooted by the middle or end of September, and may then be taken up and replanted at 15 in apart to form a new bed of carnations; they will bloom the following year Large plants can be obtained by leaving the layers undisturbed. It is not necessary to layer border carnations every year; they may be left untouched for at least two or three years. Such plants will bear large quantities of flowers.
Another way of raising a stock of border carnations is to sow seeds in a box of soil in a frame or greenhouse in March. When the seedlings are well developed they are planted out of doors, preferably where they are to bloom, at 18 in. apart. It is necessary to sow seeds of a really good strain to obtain a large percentage of double blooms. Carnations grown in this way yield more flowers than those raised fresh from layers each year. Border carnations can also be increased by cuttings, though these are less certain than layers. Some of the best varieties of border carnations are: Crystal Clove, white; Royal Clove, pink : Bookham Clove, crimson; Margaret Keep, blush pink; and Steerforth, white marked with crimson. All the above varieties are fragrant.
Other border carnations of brilliant colouring are Mary Murray, yellow; Dr. Raymond Crawfurd, orange buff; Miss Josephs, old rose; Yvonne Thomas, lavender; Fair Ellen, white marked with lavender; Jessie Murray, white marked with mauve ; Mrs. E. Charrington, white marked with lilac ; Grenadier, scarlet; J. J. Keen, apricot and rose ; Linkman, yellow and scarlet; Pasquin, yellow, pink and lavender.
Perpetual-flowering carnations are grown in immense quantities under glass to supply the florists’ shops with blooms. These arc long-stemmed, of many charming colours, and of great decorative value. Their cultivation is now quite an important industry. A sunny, well-ventilated greenhouse in which a minimum winter temperature of 45 to 50 degrees can be maintained is required for their cultivation. They need rather dry, airy conditions, therefore a span-roofed glasshouse in the open is better than a lean-to against a wall. The method of cultivation is to take cuttings in January, to repot the young plants as is necessary and finally to put them in 6-in. flower pots. The most suitable soil compost consists of loam (pieces of old turf), with which a scattering of sand and crushed mortar rubble and a little thoroughly decayed manure have been mixed. For the final potting bonemeal (one 6-in. flower pot of bonemeal to a wheel-barrowful of soil) or one of the special carnation fertilisers should be added. The greenhouse must be ventilated freely whenever the weather conditions allow; the carnations do not flourish in a close, moist atmosphere.
The cuttings form roots most certainly when inserted in a bed of sand in a propagating case placed over the hot-water pipes. The shoots near the middle of the stems of the old plants make the best cuttings. Perpetual carnations must be “stopped” twice, the last stopping not later than the end of June. Stopping, or removing the ends of the shoots, makes the plants branch out. Seeds sown in a heated greenhouse in spring will produce plants that will bloom the following winter. If the best seed is sown there will be a fair percentage of double flowers, but it is wiser to rely on cuttings taken from named varieties. Beautiful varieties of perpetual-flowering carnations are : Crystal, white; Laddie, salmon; Eileen Low, salmon pink; Red Laddie, red; Topsy, crimson; Wivelsfield Apricot, pink and yellow; Tarzan, scarlet; Aviator, scarlet; Maine Sunshine, yellow; Mikado, mauve.
Malmaison carnations are little grown nowadays. They need similar conditions to the perpetual-flowering carnations. They are grown in flower pots 8 in. in diameter, and are increased by layering in summer. Annual Carnations. Carnations which bloom the same year in which seeds are sown are useful as pot plants in the greenhouse and for filling summer flower beds . The best strain of seed yields a good percentage of double flowers of various colors . The seeds are sown in February - March under glass. When the seedlings are large enough they should be potted singly in 5-in. pots if wanted for the greenhouse, or they may be planted out of doors in May.
The chief pest of the border carnation is a grub which bores into the stem and causes its collapse. It is some - times possible to kill the grub by using a hairpin, but, as a rule, a plant damaged in this way should be pulled up and burnt. Spraying with paraffin emulsion early in summer is recommended to keep away the flies. Birds often peck off the tops of the leaves in spring, though usually the plants grow freely afterwards. Black cotton tied to pegs among the plants will keep off the birds. Rust and leaf spot may do much harm to perpetual-flowering carnations under glass. Use sulphide of potassium, dissolved at the rate of 1 oz. to 10 gallons of water. It is better to use this as a preventive than as a remedy. It is important that all unhealthy foliage should be cut away.
