I am glad to see, Mr. Editor, that you have lately taken hold of Florists' flowers in the pages of the Horticulturist.

The articles of Mr. Richardson on the Dahlia, and of Mr. Barker on the Polyanthus, both flowers old and long-loved favorites of mine, induce me to think that a few remarks on the Carnation from an old amateur may not be unacceptable.

The uninitiated should be first informed that Carnations are, by the old Florists, divided into three classes, namely, Bizarres, Flakes, and Self-colored. The Bizarres are those which have two or more colors, in addition to the white or ground color, running in stripes through their petals. The Flakes are those which have but one color only besides white running in a similar way. The Selfs are those which are of one color only. There are crimson, purple, and scarlet Bizarres; purple, scarlet, and rose Flakes; and white, pink, purple, and crimson Selfs.

Then, there are Picotee Carnations, which differ from the former in the markings of their flowers, which consist in edgings or lacings of one or more colors running round the edges only of their petals, the remainder of which are either white or yellow.

The above embrace nearly, if not quite, all the varieties of Carnations that were held in estimation by the most celebrated Carnation growers. Of late years various other nondescript varieties have been originated on the Continent of Europe, which, however, have found little favor with the "knowing ones " of the fancy, as their want of the primary requisite of a snow white ground color has condemned them to the florist's eye. When well grown, a Carnation bloom should never be less than three inches in diameter. Many varieties may be produced over four inches. The center or crown of the flower should be prominent and well filled with petals. The ground color pure, clear, and free from spots, and the edges of the petals smooth and without notches.

To grow Carnations in perfection they are best in pots. The soil or compost should be one half good loam and one half old stable manure. To this a small portion of sand or road grit may be added. The top spit of a pasture, turf and all, and a quantity of stable manure heaped up in alternate layers of equal thickness about this time of the year, and left standing through the next winter, will in the spring, if cut down and thoroughly turned over, be fit for use.

Carnations may be purchased at the nurseries either in the fall or in the spring. At these times they are in small pots; and if obtained in the fall, they should be kept in the same pots in a common garden frame through the winter. During severe frost the lights should be kept shut, but whenever the temperature is above the freezing point air should be admitted by lifting the light a few inches. It is best to plunge the pots in ashes or saw-dust, and but very little water will be required from November until March. Damp is the thing to guard against at that season; and if any blue or black spots show themselves on the leaves, too much moisture at the root is the cause of it, and withholding water the remedy, with plenty of air.

The beginning of April the plants must be placed in their blooming pots. These should be ten or twelve inches in diameter, and each pot will take four plants. First enlarge the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot to double the size it is usually made. Then place two or three pieces of broken potsherd over the hole, and upon these some of the coarsest part of the compost, which should be used from the heap in its rough state, as thrown together by the spade, without sifting. As before remarked, a little sand or road sweepings may be mixed with it, especially if the loam is of a stiff or clayey nature.

The large pot being filled about half full with the compost, press it down moderately with the" hand, or by striking the bottom of the pot on the ground. This is to prevent too great a settlement of the contents of the pot after the plants are placed in it. Then turn the young plants carefully out of the small pots without breaking their ball of roots, and place them in the large pot so that their lower leaves will be about half an inch below the level of the edge of the pot. Fill up carefully about the plants with compost, and the operation is complete.

The compost should, during the winter, be kept covered over to prevent its being saturated with water by storms, or, what is better, be placed in an open shed, where, while protected from wet, it is benefited by exposure to frost. Therefore, when used in potting, the compost should be only moderately moist and crumble readily in the hand. This is essential to prevent its becoming too close in texture in the pots to admit the ready ramification of the roots (which will now grow rapidly) through it.

After potting, the plants should be watered, and then placed again in the garden frame. Until the middle of May, all that will be necessary will be free admission of air daily, and water if necessary; but in all probability for the first month after potting that will not be required.

By the middle of May, or earlier if the weather is mild, the pots should be placed out of doors, where, without having the full force of a mid-day sun, they can get it nevertheless, either morning or afternoon. Protect the sides of the pots from the sun but do not plunge them.

As the flower stems rise, sticks must be supplied to support them; and as heat increases, more water will be requisite.

When the flower buds, or "pods," as florists call them, have filled out well, so as to be nearly of equal size throughout their whole length, a piece of bast mat ting or thread may be tied round the pod about the middle to prevent its bursting at the side, (which accident would disqualify the flower for exhibition;) and as soon as the color shows by the protrusion of the petals at the end of the bud, if it is wished to have the bloom protected, a cap must be placed over it, or the pot must be placed under an awning.

Those who make a specialty of Florists' flowers usually have an awning made of muslin or canvass, supported on a wooden frame, to cover their Tulip bed; and as the Tulips have been removed before the Carnations come into bloom, this serves the efficient purpose of protecting the Carnations. Those who have seen a collection of one or two hundred pots of Carnations in full bloom, arranged on either side under the awning, with a walk up the center, will not easily forget the gratification either to their eyes or to their olfactory nerves.

Assuming the amateur enthusiastic enough to establish such a collection, and thus protected in their blooming season, let me recommend him to water the plants when in bloom moderately; to keep the sun off by the awning; to admit air liberally at the sides; and,'above ail, to keep the ground under the awning damp by sprinkling from the watering pot, repeated frequently during the day, so as to keep a moist atmosphere around the plants, which will be the means of preserving the bloom much longer in perfection.

(To, be continued).

[Florists flowers have, on the whole, been too much negleoted among us; and any thing which will tend to make them more widely known, and their habits and treatment better understood, will be peculiarly welcome. "An Old Countryman's " remarks on the culture of the Carnation are timely and valuable. The Carnation we know to be one of his special favorites; indeed, it is every body's favorite, and a man feels happy, if ever, when some lovely Emma or Carrie tenderly places a Carnation in his bosom. - Ed].