262 THE FLORIST. 



from the class of flowers, and liken it to a fruit. It is, however, and 

 will probably always continue, very popular, and it has several points 

 of high excellence, of which I have here only to remark upon those 

 which depend on the variety of its outline. 



Flowers of this class differ from those of a more uniform surface 

 in a manner somewhat analogous to the difference between sculpture 

 and paintings, and are hardly more fit to exhibit delicate markings of 

 colour than a statue would be. Contrasts, brilliance, or an attractive 

 colour as a whole, are the points in this respect, in which their ex- 

 cellence is to be sought. But the very unevenness of form which 

 prevents the finer uses of colouring, is itself the parent of many ad- 

 vantages. The general outline is ever varying, and never the same 

 from any two points of view. The ordinary position of the blossom 

 of the Fuchsia on the plant is full of variety. The long and grace- 

 fully arched footstalk, the seedpod, the tube, itself rarely cylindrical, 

 the calyx, the corolla, the anthers and pistil, form a constantly 

 varying and pleasing outline. But in this position the petals are for 

 the most part, and sometimes entirely, hidden ; and if you examine 

 them, the tube is out of sight. It is owing chiefly to this that the 

 notched starry appearance of the open sepals in most varieties, so 

 disagreeable in other flowers, is no dissight in this ; indeed, it has a 

 positive advantage in opening to sight the contrasted colours of the 

 corolla within. 



Nor does it signify whether the variety of form be in the sub- 

 stance or in the markings of flowers. The Carnation owes much, 

 though not all, of its superiority to the Picotee or the Pink (excuse 

 me, ladies), to the fact that, without violence to its general unity, it 

 has no two petals, and no two stripes on the same petal, alike in the 

 form of their colours. A Calceolaria that has its spots or its stripes 

 all of the same size and shape is tame compared with one that is 

 more varied in its markings. 



The Pelargonium and the Pansy have many points common to 

 both, and each flower has its respective admirers ; but general esti- 

 mation assigns the palm to the former ; and it may be interesting, 

 and not uninstructive, to trace to the quality now under considera- 

 tion some of the superiority of the one over the other. The number 

 of petals, their form, the order of their disposition, and their relative 

 importance, are the same in both flowers. The general outline is, in 

 the main, alike, and the required properties, as far as they can be 

 compared, not very different; yet the ideas excited by them are 

 exceedingly dissimilar, the reasons of w T hich I will now investigate. 



1. The Pelargonium has a throat, the Pansy terminates at the 

 eye ; and therefore the former has a whole class of properties of 

 which the latter is deprived ; and these, though not numerous, have 

 a very influential bearing upon the general appearance of the flower, 

 and are becoming of more importance to its estimation every year. 

 Here is an advantage in respect of variety. 



2. Again, an immediate result from its closed throat is, that 

 the Pansy cannot be too flat ; whereas a flat-centered Pelargonium, 

 like Meleager, proves that the brightest colour loses something of 



