THE FLORIST. 179 



ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 



To the Superintendent of The Florist. 

 No. III. 



I hope you are a botanist. I know some eminent florists who are 

 so, and more than one really good botanist who duly appreciates 

 floriculture. But as the agriculturist is proverbially a despiser of his 

 garden, because of the larger results he is accustomed to deal with 

 in his farm, so is it oftentimes with the botanist, and therefore I 

 must have a word with him. 



III. His objection is not likely to become general, because it 

 involves some labour to be bestowed on the subject before its force 

 will be perceived. But yet I have heard it oftener than might be 

 expected ; probably because the outlines of every science are now so 

 generally known. It is to the effect, that floriculture (I mean that 

 of fancy flowers) is, as a study, a descent from nature, and a degra- 

 dation to it ; and as an art, is essentially unscientific, and fit only for 

 children. Our whole system, he says, is conversant about varieties, — 

 things of small account in any case ; while such as we covet ought 

 not to exist at all, departures as they are, he says, from nature, and 

 interferences with the habits of the plants. 



That these charges should be made in good faith by those who 

 only see floriculture from their supercilious distance is not surprising, 

 since there is an appearance of truth in them ; but that they will 

 not stand examination will be admitted by those who maintain that 

 there is a foundation for the preceding remarks. However, they 

 require, and they deserve, a more particular notice appropriated to 

 themselves. 



It is not contended that the labours of the florist ought to be 

 placed in the same rank with those of the botanist. We do not 

 pretend that our pursuit is not of an inferior order to his ; indeed, it 

 arises out of, and is dependent on it. But we cannot allow that 

 it is either unnatural or unscientific ; nor even that its own peculiar 

 science, in the smaller area to which it is confined, is not to the full 

 as perfect and as pure as that of botany. The comprehensive survey 

 of nature is his ; the improvement of a few of the units out of his 

 catalogue is ours ; and to inquire into the best method of doing this 

 may be found to demand scientific knowledge as high as that required 

 for the more extended field of observation in discriminating between 

 orders and genera, and the resemblances and differences of plants. 



Few who had not previously paid attention to the subject can 

 have read Mr. Story's interesting articles in your preceding Numbers 

 on the hybridisation of the Erica, without perceiving that, for the 

 successful pursuit of that practice, more of knowledge, and thought, 

 and judgment, as well as of skill and patience, is required than he 

 expected ; that less is due to chance, and more to system ; that a 

 collection of facts, and a comparison of results, are needed; and 

 arising out of this, a suitable variation of method according to cir- 



