THE FLORIST. 139 



There are many of them larger, or wider, than a broad crown- 

 piece ; so, as to what concerns the Auricula, I cannot agree with 

 these gentlemen ; my opinion is, that these stripes are plainly a sport 

 of Nature, in which she does not in any degree weaken or exhaust 

 herself. Surely the bare reasonings of the most able naturalists 

 ought never to prevail over every-day experience. 



OF THE BIZARRS. 



As to the bizarrs, there are two sorts, the old and the new ones. 

 The old kinds are those which have a bottom of a different colour 

 from the stripes ; the most common have a white bottom with a yellow 

 or gilt stripe : this kind is of a common size, and very apt to degene- 

 rate. The new kinds of bizarrs are either raised in England, or from 

 seeds brought from thence. They are admirably variegated, and 

 charm by the great quantity of colours, which you often find as dif- 

 ferent, even in the same flower, as white from black. These are not 

 generally so large as the others ; but this fault may be corrected by 

 sowing. They are commonly covered with a very fine white powder, 

 which being laid very thick on the bottom renders them most distin- 

 guishably brilliant. 



The very round ones are much valued, but very scarce; it is al- 

 most surprising if you raise one in 500 with this perfection, they are 

 so apt to come pointed or starry. But if any are so lucky as to 

 gain such as are perfect in their shapes and other properties, it is no 

 wonder that a truly knowing florist attaches himself most of all to 

 this kind, because it does not degenerate, and besides contains all the 

 good qualities both of the pures and flakes, its colour being as glossy, 

 its stripes more regular, its bottom large, round, and full of lustre, 

 and its flower-leaves stronger and thicker than any of the others. 

 But as very fine ones of this kind are not common, and very hard to 

 come at, so that, I suppose, is the reason why they have but few 

 partisans. On the other side, it is necessary that a man should have 

 a hundred plants of a kind to attach himself to it. Surely that af- 

 fords a reason for lessening his esteem for it. Those that are rare 

 ought to please more than those which are common and no whit 

 better ; some of these bizarrs have bottoms of a lemon or gold colour, 

 and without any powder at all. There are but very few that are 

 charmed with the sight of a single Auricula, let it be ever so fine. 

 That pleasure is only reserved for true judges, who are capable of 

 distinguishing it for its merit. A fine flower has this advantage, 

 that it need not be pointed to, in order to shew it, or raise it in the 

 esteem of a curious connoisseur. 



It is certain that a number of pots of Auriculas well blown and 

 orderly ranged will give a great delight, not only to good judges, 

 but to those who have the least taste or fancy for flowers, in short, 

 the whole pleases them ; but it is only such as are nicely curious 

 that are able to decide whether the whole composition deserves atten- 

 tion. These may be easily discovered by the strict examination they 

 give each flower, as well as by the determination they make of their 

 value; whereas, on the contrary, ignorant pretenders to this kind 



