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Perpetual Carnations and their Scent by A Morgan 1953

*Perpetual Carnations and their Scent
By A. MORGAN, Llangefni, Anglesey*

From Amateur Gardening, by kind permission.

One of the well-known daily newspapers recently published an article on the subject: “Why is the Carnation Losing its Scent?” and interesting comment followed its publication. Comparisons were made between the old-fashioned carnations, with their distinct spicy clove fragrance, and the new varieties of recent years, many of which, it was stated have apparently little or no scent. Perpetual Carnations, in paticular, have been a target for much criticism, and it is asserted that they are slowly but surely losing all their former perfume.

There are many aspects to this question of scent, and I feel that much the adverse comment directed against the Carnation is somewhat inaccurate and does not take into account all the factors involved. There are many distinct and different scents in the wide range of Perpetual flowering Carnation varieties and, to quote one example only, compare the heavy spicy clove perfume of the white variety George Allwood with that of the fancy Velvet Pelargonium, which carries a delicate and rather elusive scent. In my view nearly all varieties, except the yellow and apricot shades, have their own distinct fragrance. Some are most pronounced and disseminate their perfume on the air or in the room; others have a delicate and elusive scent, and here we come up against the factor of personal taste. Some people, particularly ladies, prefer the delicate and refined scents, others find the pungent clove fragrance infinitely more appealing.
Another most important point for consideration is that the sense of smell varies with each individual; some are acutely sensitive and can discern the most delicate aroma, while others can only recognize strong and heavy perfumes, I am firmly convinced that tobacco smoking, which has increased considerably during the past 20 years, has a decidedly adverse effect on one’s sense of smell. From my own experience I know that mine has been impaired by my addiction to a pipe, and if I attempted to pass judgment on a Carnation with a rather faint and delicate scent 1 should probably fail to detect its perfume. Pollution of the atmosphere by factories, particularly near towns, together with petrol fumes from vehicles, must surely affect and neutralize the delicate scents of many flowers in our gardens.
Temperature also plays an important role in determining the strength of scent from individual flowers; some carnations possess a strong clove perfume during the warm days of summer, but in winter, on a dull cold day, the flowers from the same plant may only give a faint clove scent. This would seem to suggest that a certain degree of warmth and sunlight is indispensable for the production of a good strong fragrance in certain varieties.
The white varieties of Perpetual Carnations have undoubtedly the best scent, then come the crimson and pink shades; the mauves and heliotropes generally possess a more delicate and distinctive perfume. Many of the fancy varieties are scented but the strength varies quite considerably; this is also true of the scarlet kinds. Apricot and yellow shades, particularly the more bright and vivid colours, have little or no scent. It has been observed that certain varieties, which have very shapely and symmetrical blooms, are more prone to a seem deficiency, which seems to suggest that if Carnation breeders concentrate on perfection of Form and vivid colouring, then fragrance must be sacrificed. Experiments arc being carried out at the Cheshunt Research Station in an attempt to discover why certain varieties are deficient in fragrance, but no positive results have so far been obtained.
During the past 0 years the Carnation hybridists have been working to raise larger and more perfect blooms, and have succeeded in producing a bewildering range of colour variations and combinations. They would seem to have concentrated more on size, perfection and productivity to satisfy public demand. Hence to my mind the virtue of scent has been subordinated to the quest for bigger and brighter Carnations. There arc few people who would be prepared to pay more to the florist for varieties which are highly perfumed, and the specialist nurseryman who advertises a novelty with a strong scent is not likely to have his sales enhanced to any great degree because of this virtue.
The Carnation enthusiasts, and let us not forget the public who buy Carnation blooms, must make up their minds whether the emphasis is to be on fragrance or on bigger and brighter flowers. If they demand new varieties with scent as a prime necessity, then they must be willing to accept duller shades and less symmetrical form; on the other hand, if larger and more vivid colours arc required, then they must be prepared to take varieties which have little or no perfume.
I am sure that the delightful clove fragrance of the Carnation will return in strength, providing the gardening and flower-loving public will encourage the specialists to breed for this essential quality; size and colour must be relegated to the background for a time if we are to achieve our aim.
The British National Carnation Society offers, at their Summer Show, a Gold Cup (presented by a well-known newspaper) (The Daily Mail – Ed) for the best British raised Perpetual Carnation, but no award was made by the judges at the 1951 Shows, or at this year’s Summer Show. However, at the Autumn Show the variety Northland, exhibited by Basingstoke Joint Nurseries Ltd., was judged to be the best scented variety. The Society sets a very high standard and Carnation enthusiasts everywhere will welcome the winning variety, knowing that its prerequisite is a good fragrance. This variety has a healthy vigorous growth with strong sterns and excellent blooms, but I would recommend a little heat in winter to prevent the guard petals from damping. The present rules for this class only permit one entry from each competitor, but I understand that it is intended to amend the regulations in 1953 to allow more than one entry from each competitor, and this will undoubtedly provide more scope for raisers of new varieties and much greater competition.