312 THE FLORIST. 



feather in the eye, however small, gives an appearance of poverty, 

 because it detracts from the purity of the white, and, by conse- 

 quence, from the contrast in which the effectiveness resides.* Fi- 

 nally, it is to contrast, in a great measure, that the gorgeous splen- 

 dour of the Tulip is owing ; for its bold and bright colours being 

 laid on the purest white or yellow surface, the extreme purity of 

 the ground brings out with such perfect effect the strokes of the 

 pencilling. 



When combination and contrast unite in the same flower, which 

 is far from rare, the order of excellence is such as to admit of the 

 highest effect colours are capable of giving. 



The boundaries of science being now established, the province 

 of taste may be inferred, as including all not restricted by the former. 

 When the rules of science have denned what is invariable and neces- 

 sary, a large field will still remain open for individual taste to luxu- 

 riate in without reproach ; limited, indeed, on all sides from trans- 

 gressing its proper bounds, but within its ample space unfettered. 

 This is the region of taste, to which belongs whatever is not claimed 

 by the more rigid exactness of scientific rule. It is the residuary 

 legatee, w T hen all specified claimants are satisfied. 



But beyond its legitimate sphere it can have no jurisdiction. 

 Whatever Nature (which is the law of our Maker) requires, taste 

 cannot dispense with as out of fashion ; whatever it rejects, taste 

 cannot patronise into a beauty. It may prefer colour to colour at 

 its pleasure, and dispute over the rival claims of its several favourites, 

 which have naturally an equal claim to admiration ; but it is out of 

 place when it demands precedence for an angular over a flowing out- 

 line, or for a disproportionate or an unmeaning shape over one of 

 which every part has reference to the whole ; nor ought it to be 

 allowed to stamp a conventional value upon an incongruous assem- 

 blage of colours. 



A cultivated taste does not often err thus. And by a cultivated 

 taste, I mean simply, one that is conversant with a flower in its 

 varieties, and takes an interest in their observation. It is curious to 

 observe the tact a person rapidly acquires in discerning any thing that 

 is really a natural defect, or the parent of a natural advantage, merely 

 by frequent unconscious comparison. And this is the origin of the 

 agreement there is between florists in the " points" of flowers. And 

 the reason it is not more perfect is, because the faculty is not equally 

 cultivated in all, nor is it perfect in any. Mere observation has not 

 the means of training the eye to completeness ; for perfection has 

 never hitherto been reached in the objects of its study. It is also 

 partly owing to an erroneous as well as a defective standard. For in 

 forming a standard of excellence of any particular florist's flower, the 

 legitimate preferences of varying taste have generally been allowed 

 a voice, which is a mistake. 



* The readers of The Florist will have met with this idea before (as also 

 that contained in the preceding sentence). And I have a pleasure in acknow- 

 ledging that it was from seeing it in a former Number in a remark of the Super- 

 intendent, that I adopted and have analysed it here. 



