60 THE FLORIST. 



accustomed to judge of the effects of the contrast of colours, sensa- 

 tions that are quite as disagreeable as those experienced by the ear 

 of the musician when struck by discordant sounds. The principal 

 rule to be observed in the arrangement of flowers is, to place the 

 blue next to the orange, and the violet next to the yellow, whilst red 

 and pink blossoms are never seen to greater advantage than when 

 surrounded by verdure and by white flowers ; the latter may also be 

 advantageously dispersed among groups formed of blue and orange, 

 and of violet and yellow colours ; for although a clump of white 

 flowers may produce but little eff^ect when seen apart, it cannot be 

 denied that the same flowers must be considered as indispensable to 

 the adornment of a garden, when they are seen suitably distributed 

 amongst groups of flowers whose colours have been assorted accord- 

 ing to the law of contrast. It will be observed by those who may 

 be desirous of putting in practice the precepts we have been incul- 

 cating, that there are periods of the horticultural year when white 

 flowers are not suSiciently multiplied by cultivation to enable us to 

 derive the greatest possible advantage from the flora of our gardens. 

 Further, those plants whose flowers are to produce a contrast should 

 be of the same size ; and in many cases the colour of the sand or 

 gravel composing the ground of the walks or beds of a garden may 

 be made to conduce to the general eff'ect. 



In laving down the preceding rules, it is not meant to be asserted 

 that a diff'erent arrangement of colours may not please the eye ; but 

 by adhering to the arrangement mentioned, we may always be cer- 

 tain of producing assemblages of colour conformable to good taste, 

 whilst we should not be equally sure of success in pursuing a difl^erent 

 course. 



In reply to an objection that might be made, " that the green of 

 the leaves, which serves, as it weie, for a ground for the flowers, 

 destroys the effect of the contrast of the latter," we say, such is not 

 the case ; and to prove this, it is only necessary to fix on a screen of 

 green silk two kinds of flowers, and to look at them at the distance 

 of some ten paces. This admits of a very simple explanation ; for as 

 soon as the eye distinctly and simultaneously sees two colours, the 

 attention is so riveted, that contiguous objects, especially when on 

 a receding plane, and where they are of a sombre colour, and present 

 themselves in a confused manner to the sight, produce but a very 

 feeble impression. 



PICOTEES. 



The bloom of 1849 was decidedly good; we heard this disputed in some 

 quarters, yet those that attended the South-London, Slough, Stam- 

 ford Hill, Salisbury, and Derby shows, could not have had any doubt 

 on the subject. The improved method of exhibiting these flowers 

 added much to the general efl'ect. The shewing them in uniform 

 neat boxes, on cards, is a very superior mode to the old style of 

 raised tubes out of cards. 



