The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-11-22

a possible loss of fragrance but that
the stem of the earnation should re-
tain its graceful pliableness in spite
of the blossoms increased size A
stiff, unwieldy stem quite spoils a
carnation in the opinion of experts
and to avoid this undesirable feature
and vet at the same time keep on in
creasing the size Of the flower is not
at all easy
That 1t can be done has been prov
!, ed. For example, the grower who a
| few years ago created something OF a
sensation by introducing one Of the
! first of the kingly varieties Of carna-
ton to Fifth avenue-the Thomas
Lawson it was called-long since stop
| ped growing it for the reason that its
stem was too stiff to agree with his
ideas of symmetry, AS result the
| Thomas Lawson had its day and ceas-
| ed to be, and now leading florists
don't carry it at all and are naming
later varieties which have come to
take its place-for instance, the Beac-
on, which will be a first favorite
among the reds this season, it is said
| And yet, according to the annals of
IA grower, the Beacon came mighty
| near not being heard of at all and its
prominence was achieved at the ex-
pense Of prize winner called the
George Craig.
In company the two, almost exact
| duplicates and grown by the same
/. man, were exhibited at recent
hower show The judges were ppz-
| zled. 1t was a tossup between the
two, they declared, so far as looks
went. Each was Of a gorgeous scar
let was more than three inches across
and was delightfully."- fragrant Finally
the prize fell to the George Craig, but
the grower, aware that the Beacon
produced more blooms to the plant
! and that therefore it would yield the
larger money returns, decided to Gull
tivate the Beacon almost exclusively.
So much for the value of judges de-
cisions
! For the time being there is no car
nation in sight to excel in siza the
Alma Ward; but then there is no tell
ing what may appear before the end
of the winter, says the head &C 4
wholesale New York concern which
is a distributing point for flowers I.
the retail florists. Returns are moi
all in yet The Alma Ward Is distinc-
tive, this man says, and there is lie
carnatfon either in white or colnrs
which equals it in some respects. Ir
diameter it Is fully three and one-halt
inches-some blooms are nearer fcpli
inches-and its fragrance is un1ilnin-
ished The stems Of this and of Other
of the prize varieties are quite Il
inches long, whereas the stems Of til;
old time varieties are seldom moro
than nine inches in length.
! MORE
The Alma Ward is grown in one {
the largest carnation nurseries in thi
! country, which is on Long Island no
: far from New York and which con
: sists of half a dozen huge greenhouse
| wherein nothing whatever Dui carna
tons is grown. In the winter th:
| nursery sends daily anywhere from
| 5000 to 10000 carnations tn New
. York and large quantities to otke
cities.
; Ninety thousand choice carnati5l
plants are now growing Justify in tn
} greenhouses, the advance guard 0
which will have reached nlaturit
/ early in November. AS The averag
] yield of one plant seas3n IS abou
r 20 blossoms the output If carnation
- = L.
t is not far from 2,000,tS).
e The Alma Ward has :, g7eenaous
Y to herself and there are 1000 plant
/ Of her. or about $4,000 pl)oms in
season. When\ these blooms an
= thousands more of other eolors an
e varieties, each variety in It's NV
{. greenhouse, are in blossom the sigh
4 is worth going far to sea