170 THE FLORIST. 



A FEW WORDS TO BEGINNERS. 



[The following article, abridged from an American paper, so well illustrates the 

 evil results of neglecting to follow our oft-repeated advice, " Whatever you 

 cultivate, let it be the best of its kind," that we gladly republish it for the 

 benefit of our young readers — Ed.J 



Nothing more surely defeats an incipient taste for flower-culture 

 than a rash beginning. If one is pinched for room or for money, 

 they are in a very good way ; they will have to begin moderately. 

 A few flowers finely grown for a single season will generally fix a 

 person irrecoverably. But, however fine the taste and sincere the 

 relish, if one begins their practical cultivation by crowding their 

 garden with a multitude of ditferent plants requiring very diverse 

 treatment, the result will be great expense, much labour and con- 

 fusion ; and after all the industry, it will be so divided as to avail but 

 little for any thing. When the season closes, the remembrance of 

 the flower-campaign will be a reminiscence of confusion, of starveling 

 plants choked with weeds, pitiable blossoms, seed lost, and roots 

 not secured. And what between neglect, weeds, insects, drouth, or 

 floods of rain, and murderous frosts, the winter will find you be- 

 reaved of one half of your dearly bought favourites. 



The consequence will be, that disgust will follow injudicious 

 enthusiasm. Wise people, who always despised such trifles, and 

 wondered that people would waste time in a garden, will shake their 

 heads, pat your cheeks, and say, " You see what comes of such non- 

 sense." Wherefore we beseech all beginners to take heed how they 

 begin. 



We repeat, and with emphasis, do not be tempted, by the beauty 

 and variety of flowers, to cultivate too many. Make it a duty to 

 cultivate whatever you take in hand perfectly ; and add nothing until 

 you perceive that you can do it justice. We protest against floral 

 spendthrifts, floral dissipation, and all flov/er-mongers. Let any one 

 look about him, and he shall see such persons as these : 



1. Ignorant buyers. They will bid-off bushels of trash at flower- 

 auctions ; they will be entrapped by sounding names in seed-stores, 

 and made wild by pompous catalogues from florists and seedsmen. 

 Nobody is so likely to be imposed upon as persons who affect to 

 despise flowers. We have known a man who, laughing at wife 

 and daughter, wiped his mouth of all love of flowers, who never- 

 theless, at gome unwatchful moment, comes into temptation in 

 some spring sale. Now, says he, I will surprise my wife with a 

 present worth having ! And perhaps he secretly whispers to himself, 

 I'll shew them that I know something about buying flowers, if I 

 do not about raising them. Once a going, he does buy ; buys every 

 thing; buys worn-out roots, cast-away rose-bushes, effete bulbs, 

 four-year old and three-year dead seeds of splendid names. Quite 

 aroused by his luck, he sends for cart and barrow, and to his wife's 

 consternation, begins to heap his trash into the yard and garden. 



