300 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



SINGLE AND DOUBLE FLOWERS. 



An English writer quoted by Mr. Vick strikes directly at a plain truth in 

 regard to changing some of our beautiful single flowers into double ones with- 

 out in the least improving them. lie says : "Although durability is a very 

 desirable property, and one that, when writing upon the subject of flowers for 

 cutting, I have before urged, still it would be a mistake to attach more impor- 

 tance to it than it deserves, and to lose sight of the fact that single flowers have 

 an elegance about them which double ones are always deficient in. This to me 

 was never more apparent than in looking at the double varieties of Ceneraria 

 that have recently made their appearance. There is now the manifest mistake 

 being made of ranging under the florist's standard and bringing within the 

 florist's code of properties every flower that is sought to be improved or altered; 

 indeed sometimes the alteration lacks improvement. 



"The day for this has gone by, for if there is one thing more than another 

 now apparent, it is the perception and appreciation of simple beauty in natural 

 objects, flowers included, by the majority of the people." 



THE OLEANDER. 



Mr. Shirley Hibbard says: "This handsome shrub is one of the most poi- 

 sonous of its class, and therefore should be handled with care, for if the hand is 

 cut when pruning it a dangerous wound may be the result. In Dr. Hogg's 

 'Vegetable Kingdom' occurs the following respecting it: — 'It is one of the 

 most beautiful window plants when covered with its large, rose-like blossoms ; 

 but in these blossoms the weapon of death resides. During the Peninsular war 

 a number of French soldiers who went out foraging near Madrid returned 

 laden with the fruits of their search. One of the number, with the view of 

 securing some wood to make skewers for the meat, cut a quantity of oleander 

 boughs, and, having stripped them of the bark, used the wood in the meat. 

 The result was that out of twelve who ate of the roast seven died, and the rest 

 were dangerously ill. The poisonous principle is so subtle that its exhalations 

 alone are sufficient to cause serious accident, and even death, to those who 

 recline or sleep for any time under their influence." 



It may be added to what Mr. Hibbard says, that the stories we have in all 

 modern botanical works about azalea and rhododendron of modern botany 

 yielding poisonous honey is purely fictitious. The oleander was the rhododen- 

 dron of the ancients, and when the name was transferred to our present plants, 

 the poisonous reputation went with the name. — Gardeners' Monthly. 



A BEAUTIFUL WINDOW PLANT. 



Blue is a color which we seldom find among suitable window plants. 

 Kecently, however, there has been introduced a species of Torenia (T. Four- 

 nerii) which makes one of the best plants for the window culture there is of 

 this or any other color. I have only had the opportunity of growing it for one 

 season, but during that period it has gained much favor in my own estimation, 

 as well as in the opinion of every one who saw it. It is of dwarf compact 

 habit, growing about 8 or 10 inches high. The flowers, which are a dark blue 



