121 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



the grossness of the calceolarias so used, conspicuously apparent. Yet, if 

 the geranium had not had a good dash of orange in its red, and the 

 verbena a predominance of blue — points of the utmost importance — the 

 result would have been anything but a success, for in all contrasts a 

 system of exact compensation must be adhered to. In the use of blues 

 and purples, we have here indicated to us another important rule, and 

 that is, that green seldom heightens their beauty, owing to its containing 

 a large proportion of the same element, without an element of a comple- 

 mentary kind — orange — to effect a compensation. Among the most 

 agreeable of contrasts enumerated by M. Chevreul, are the following : — 

 White, orange, blue, white — white, orange, white, blue, white — white, 

 red, white, orange, Avhite — (here, red and orange, a bad juxtaposition, is 

 just saved by the white intervening) — white, red, white, yellow, white — 

 Avhite, red, white, blue, white — Avhite, red, white, violet, Avhite — 

 white, orange, yellow, white — white, orange, white, green, white — 

 white, orange, white, violet. Black is equally useful as white to relieve, 

 but as the florist has little to do with black, some of the uses of grey, as a 

 relief agent, may be enumerated, as under that term we may class many 

 of the pale verbenas, variegated leaved geraniums, alyssums, &c. Grey 

 and blue, grey and violet, form arrangements of which the harmony of 

 analogy is agreeable, yet less so than black with the same colours. Grey 

 and orange, grey and yellow, grey and bright green, form equally agree- 

 able arrangements. Grey and rose are dull, but grey, red, green, grey, — 

 and grey, red, grey, green, grey are passable. Blue and orange make a 

 good contrast, but if grey be added, it should be grey, blue, or orange, 

 grey, or grey, blue, grey, orange, gre} r . Yellow and violet is a delicate 

 and pleasing contrast, but if grey be added, it shoidd be thus : grey, yel- 

 low, violet, grey, &c, or grey, yellow, grey, violet, grey. In bringing 

 blue and violet near each other, grey is a good separator, thus : grey, 

 blue, violet, grey, &c, or grey, blue, grey, violet, grey, &c. When two 

 colours accord badly together, it is always advantageous to separate them 

 by white. " In the application of the law of contrasts to the arrangements 

 of flowers," says M. Chevreul, "we must never forget the difference be- 

 tween the assemblage forming a line of plants, and an assemblage 

 of flowers belonging to plants of various heights, standing on different 

 planes, so as to produce the effects of a picture. In a linear arrange- 

 ment, for example, there is nothing more unpleasant than the blue 

 flower of the German iris, associated with the light violet of the lilac ; 

 but if we add to this association, large tufts of Alyssum saxatile, Persian 

 iberis, and red tulips, so that the golden yellow, white, and deep red ap- 

 pear on one plane, and the deep blue and the light violets on a more dis- 

 tant plane, Ave shall retain general effects of a most agreeable kind." In 

 this way the author folloAvs, to its conclusion, as applicable to each of the 

 decorative arts, the laAvs which govern the distribution of colour as 

 matters of taste, and Ave most heartily commend this concise, agreeably- 

 written, and beautifully illustrated Avork to the attention of the horticul- 

 tural public. 



For London folks, the exhibition of American Plants, by Messrs. Waterer 

 and Godfrey, which will be continued during the whole of June, in the 

 Ashburnham Pavilion, at Cremorne Gardens, Avill be the most attractive 



