Title: The American florist : a weekly journal for the trade
Identifier: americanfloristw34amer (find matches)
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: American Florists Company
Subjects: Floriculture; Florists
Publisher: Chicago : American Florist Company
Contributing Library: UMass Amherst Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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632 The American Florist. April 2r, Carnation Breeding. Paper read tefore the February meeting of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, by C. W. Ward, Queens, N. T. The Original Carnation.—The orig- inal carnation known to history for some 300 years before the Christian era was a 5-petal single bloom about i inch in diameter, of a pinkish mauve color. In its original state it grew gen- erally throughout the southern portion of Europe, being found in abundance in Normandy, France, whence it is be^ lieved by some historians to have been introduced into Great Britain. So re- cently as 1874 it was found covering the Castle Falsise, in which William the Conqueror was born. It was described by Theophrastus as early as 300 B. C. Breeders' Materials and Tools.— The present carnation with which we are working is the product of several centuries of culture and hybridization. It is an open poUenated species, and mother plants can be used from the hy- br.d plants as well as in breeding upon the same plants or upon the same va- riety. Once secured from seeds, a va- riety is easily perpetuated by propaga- tion from cuttmgs which are secured in abundance and may be easily rooted. Improvements in varieties may be made by bud selection and bud variation as well as from, seed variation due to hy- bridization. In raising varieties from hybridized seed, very few improved sorts are produced, the proportion being about one good variety for each S.ooo hybrids grown, according to present standard. Up to the present tmie I have been breeding for color alone, basing my work upon the theory that any laws developed in color work would hold good when applied to the development of other desired qualities. The tools which I use in my work are very sim- ple indeed, consisting of a pair of deli- cate tweezers and a microscopic magni- fying glass. The method employed is to find the anther just bursting so that the pollen is in a condition of dry pow- der. The anther is removed by means of the tweezers and the pistil of the flower desired to be fertilized is lightly touched along the ent.re length by the pollen bearing anther. Color Classification.—In order to do my work with reasonable method, I have divided it into sections as follows: I. Crimson section, comprising crimsons or scarlet maroon in color. 2. Dark pink section, which comprises all rose, cherry and deep pink tones. 3. Light pink sec- tion, which comprises the light salmon or daybreak tints. 4. Scarlet section, which comprises all other colors which may be turned red or scarlet. 5. White section, comprising only the creamy white and snow white tints. 6. Yel- low variegated, with scarlet, crimson or pink upon yellow grounds, as the yel- low varieties are almost invariably marked with pink, scarlet or some other tint. 7. White variegated section, which comprises varieties with white grounds and light pink, scarlet or crimson mark- ings. 8. The blue section, comprising varieties showing some tendency towards a blue in color. This last sec- tion has not as yet produced anything that might be termed a blue, as invar- iably there is enough pink in the make- up of the color to shade the tone into purple or mauve. The crmson, dark and light pink, scarlet and white sec- tions have been fairly well fi.xed. but the yellow, white and pink variegated, and blue sections will be very difficult to fix as they are essentially mosaics, and there is a constant tendency toward var- iation in all hybrids produced by them. Origin of an Important Variety.— The bulk of my profitable varieties can be traced generally to the variety Gen. Maceo, which was the result of a cross between the English variety. Winter Cheer, and Mr. Dorner's American va- riety, Meteor. The original plant of Gen. Maceo had a very peculiar habit, being almost a climber, and was dug from the frozen ground after all sup- posed good sorts had been taken in from the field, its only recommendation being an intensely colored large bloom on a plant having a habit somevvhat re- sembling a creeping grapevine in growth, but by selection from bud varia- tions it was built into an immensely profitable commercial variety. In hy- bridizing carnations we sometimes meet Avith what is termed seed sports. These have been invariably light pink varie- ties (more or less marked with crim- son edgings and stripes) that have been produced by crossing crimson sorts which had comparatively pure crimson pedigrees for several generations. Aside from its commercial importance, there is a sentimental side to carnation grow- ing. The production of new hybrids, which are distinct improvements upon existing sorts, is always a pleasure, and serves to keep one thoroughly interest- ed in the "divine flower," and amply re- pays for the close application necessary to produce practical improvements. How I Commenced Carnation Cul- ture.—Some 14 years ago, while walk- ing down Broadway, New York City, a Greek flower peddler pushed under my nose a bunch of clove scented carna- tions. The delicious fragrance remind- ed me vividly of the old home garden, with its little plats of Paisley pinks, and I became at once interested in the blooms, and being at that time out of business, I took up the growing of car- nations, believing that if chrysanthe- mums, roses and other flowers could be improved upon by hybridization and culture the carnation must respond to similar methods, and in this view later experience proved that I was not at fault. Commercial I.mportance of the Car- nation.—At the present time the com- mercial value of the carnation grown in this country has risen so that the calling may be considered one of the substantial professions. The annual value of the carnation product reaches from $5,000,000 to $6,.ooo,ooo. When we consider the sales of both plants and flowers, and the capital invested, pos- sibly this may amount to from $15,- 000,000 to $20,000,000, taking into con- sideration the value of the real estate and buildings devoted to carnation cul- ture. The improvement in the carna- tion, which has resulted in giving us flowers three times the size that they ordinarily were, with stems four to five times as long, has produced a genera! advance in the price of the carnation which seems to keep pace with the in- creased demand. When I first under- took the growing of the carnation, 50 cents to $2 were considered the retail prices. At present $2 to $6, sometimes $8, and, in rare instances, $10 per dozen are secured. \\'hen I first entered the business 50 cents to $1 and from that up to $^ per 100 as the maximum price, were the wholesale rates. At present %2 to $15 per 100 are the ruling prices, and at certain seasons as high as $25 per 100 are secured for the best and most perfect blooms. We have about 2 acres under glass devoted to carna- tion growing, the annual sales from which run from $30,000 to $36,000, net- ting a fair annual profit of $10,000 to $12,000. Much has been said and writ- ten about the value of the single va- riety of new carnation. So far, I am informed at least 5 varieties have been sold on a basis of $8,000 to $10,000 per variety, and 2 upon a basis of $20,000 for the variety, this being the scarlet sort, Robt. Craig, one of my own seed- lings. Naming New Varieties.—The nam- ing of a new carnation is quite a puzzle to the originator, and he usually selects the name of some beautiful lady, some particular friend, some important per- sonage, a bird, the name of a planet or something that will serve to de- scribe or produce an impression of the characteristics of his flower. In nam- ing my own productions, I have honored some of my seedlings with such names as The President, Mrs. Roosevelt, Gov- ernor Roosevelt, Viola Allen, Elsa' Struss, Alma Ward, James H. Man- ley, The Cuban Patriots, Gen Maceo. Gomez and your own townsman, Robt. Craig. The Carnation in Politics.—The carnation has frequently been used in a political sense. It was the McKinley emblem, and the campaign flower during the campaign which elected McKinley and Roosevelt, and during that campaign the various car- nation growers throughout the coun- try donated many thousands of flowers to decorate the button holes of those marching in political parades. At the present time the American Carnation Society decorates the grave of the la- mented president with carnations on January 29 every year. The carnation is extensively used as a decorative flower. It lends itself to almost every use in which flowers are suitable. Its varied and delicate colorirgs, its mag- nificent, pungent, refreshing odor and its long keeping qualities render it probably the most valuable of all flo- rists' flowers, excelling even the up to now queen of flowers, the rose.
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NICOTI SAVE THE BLOOMS! NIKOTEEN DOES NOT INJURE SENSITIVE 71ANTS.U5ED FOR FUMIGATION ORSPRAYINCINDOORSOROUI 200 HXJNOS106400 IN ONE PlNl NIKOIttK I Ml F'O. CO., St. Louii. Mo Carman's Antipest INSECTICIDE AHD FUNGICIDE For the Garden, Orchard and Greenhouse. Non-poisonous and ti.-ir(nlt'ss to veyctalion. Klll.s Orern Fly. Aphldrs. Bark Lice. Tbrlp. Mealy Butf. Red .Spider. Scale, Wire Worms. Ants and Sluiia. Tliis is llic <"irowcr's Kriend, handy 10 use. ctieap .ind etieclivc. mixes readily in w.iter. Destroys all insect pests and keeps down littli. Circulars on application. $1.50 per gallon. .Mso in uiiarts. halt gallons :in(i in f'lilk. PERFECTION CHEMICAL CO., FLUSHING. N. Y.

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