THE FLORIST. 231 



itself, and is fulfilled when all is not same or self, but varied with 

 diverse forms and colours. 



Now with regard to the influence which these two sources of 

 beauty exercise upon our judgments. First, with respect to Unity. 



If an external outline be broken, one or more of these three effects 

 will be produced : either it will convey an idea of imperfection, that 

 something is defective, and needs to be filled up ; as in the native 

 Pansy, or much more in an inferior cultivated variety, in which the 

 improvement is begun, but only to the extent of making the defect 

 more glaring by shewing how it may be removed. 



Or, if the parts are equal and similar, as in the Iris, the flower 

 will not be a whole, to produce one leading idea in which the others 

 it may suggest are contained, but will be broken into parts, and its 

 effectiveness diminished to that of a flower of the size of one of its 

 parts. 



Or the general appearance will be marred by the impression of 

 roughness and harshness, causing to the eye a sensation analogous to 

 that communicated to the hand by its passing over a rough uneven 

 surface. This is exemplified in many flowers, even in the Lily, and 

 still more in the ragged edge of some Pinks and Carnations ; because 

 in them the defect is in such close juxtaposition with the means of 

 its cure — a curve in the outline of the petal ; and this curve already 

 exists at the base of the serrated point. It always gives an idea of 

 harshness. 



It is not, however, always that these defects can be expected, 

 or wished, to be removed by cultivation. In the Gladiolus, Iris, Ixia, 

 and others, they are of the essence of the form, and the flower would 

 quite alter its character were they removed. The alteration, if ef- 

 fected, would very possibly be no improvement ; and at least it would 

 be a complete transformation of the original. When this is the case, 

 the flower must be content to take a lower rank, with such as are 

 incapable of the highest assemblage of excellences, but not the less 

 esteemed for the qualities it does possess. Nor is it desirable that 

 all should be of one class. 



Moreover, in some of this class the primary outline which gives 

 the leading impression of the flower lies within the irregular parts, 

 as in the Tigridia ; the slightly concave disc of which is sufficiently 

 distinct, and the protruding flaps of the alternate longer petals over- 

 hang its edge, and sometimes fall down from it like the lappets of 

 a lady's head-dress of the reign of Queen Anne. Owing to this, the 

 flimsy substance of the outer portion of the longer petals is no fault. 



Nor is unity altogether lost in any of these flowers, except in 

 such as contain a primary division of the corolla into two or more 

 like and equal parts, as the Iris does, and many smaller flowers, as 

 the Veronica instanced above, in which the parts are circular, and 

 therefore complete in themselves. 



This quality, therefore, is most essential to the flower as a whole ; 

 and should accordingly be always more or less found under the 

 general outline. 



Next let us consider the effect of variety. This is even more 



