314 TBANSACTIONS OF THE 



rLORICULTURE. 



BT MKS. DUANE PEJSTNOCK, CARTHAGE. 



Floriculture is a word, which is next in importance to horticul- 

 ture; the latter takes in fruits and vegetables, while floriculture 

 covers and takes in the industry of cultivating flowers, of which there 

 are a countless variety. And flowers always deck the face of mother 

 earth before the fruit comes. Floriculture is not only a pleasure, 

 but is made a business by some, whereby a living is made, and it 

 pays in some places, better than the cultivation of vegetables, or even 

 fruits, depending a great deal, of course upon the situation, and 

 the experience of the florist. We have been asked to give a report 

 on floriculture from our part of the county. We willingly comply 

 and will try to do justice to the subject. But, from its vastness we 

 have little hope of doing so. 



The floral kingdom is now in its beauty. Old Boreas having 

 departed and left "Queen Flora" and her subjects to revel in the 

 warmth of summer. Plants and flowers generally stood the winter 

 just past very well, some (as is usually the case), were frozen, on the 

 very severe nights. And late in the season when Jack Frost was 

 supposed to have lost some of his power, he returned and took some 

 of the choicest plants, thereby bringing grief to more than one arae- 

 teur florist. Greraniums, our "standby " for all the year round, are 

 gaining fast what they lost during the cold, wet spring. Several of 

 our ladies being deceived by the warm days early in April set their 

 geraniums out in beds, and a sudden return of cold weather injured 

 them for the time. 



Roses — the delight of all hearts, — we are sorry to say, are 

 troubled with " the slug ; " but by thoughtful care and close watch- 

 ing and picking, which seems to be the only means of eradicating 

 this evil, we have some very choice roses, (generally speaking, there 

 has been more trouble with annuals this year than usual, it being 

 difficult to make the seeds sprout, caused, we suppose, by the cold, 

 wet weather. Perennials are doing very well, and they are nearly 

 always sure to come to our aid when annuals fail us. 



All vines and running plants seem to outdo themselves, and 

 appear to be running a race with each other; and what is more 

 delightful to the eye than a mass of beautiful, delicate, green vines. 



Tulips never looked better than this spring, the blooms were of 

 great beauty and rich profusion. In fact, as far as we can learn, all 

 bulbs have done, and are doing, well. Oleanders, pomegranates, 

 achania, and other hard wood plants, are in a healthy condition, 

 and promise a profusion of bloom in due time. 



The care of plants is a great one, but how well we feel repaid 

 when we gather the flowers by the handful, and enjoy their beauty 

 and fragrance. 



