LITERARY NOTICES. 



Imitate nature in the fields andjorests, ivho gathers a bed of leaves and moss about the 

 roots of her trees, and follow the advice of An Old Mulcher. 



Titrrnrtf JMim. 



The Flower Garden, or Br eck's Book of Mowers; in vjhich are described all the va- 

 rious hardy Herbaceous Perennials, Annuals, Shrubby Plants, Evergreens, Si'c, ivith 

 Directions for their Cidtivation. By Joseph Breck. Boston: published by Jewett 

 & Co.— (1 vol. 336 p. 12 mo.) 

 [The following notice of Mr. Breck's volume on Flower Gardening, lately published, 

 was received too late for our last number. The volume itself, which we have just seen, 

 and have not j'^et fully examined, appears to be a very useful and practical hand-book for 

 the amateur in ornamental gardening. Ed.] 



" Breck's Book op Flowers," with hints on Flowcr-Beds and Flower-Borders. — 

 Here is a new book, — for which we desire our thanks to the author, — on the delightful 

 subject of horticulture and flowers. 



The brightest, the fairest, the sweetest, the loveliest members of the vegetable king- 

 dom, — and, save fair maidens and innocent childliood, the loveliest things in the universe, 

 are flowers. They have been well called " The Lyric Poetry of Creation." Horace 

 Smith, the author of that grand poem, " Moral Ruins," and to my mind, one of the chief- 

 est English poets, in his charming " Hymn to the Flowers," calls them "day stars," 

 " matin worshippers," " living preachers," " floral apostles," " ephemeral sages," and 

 concludes with the enthusiastic declaration — 



" Were I, O God 1 in churchless lands remaining-, 

 Far from all teachers, and from all divines, 

 My soul would find in flowers of thy ordaining;. 

 Priests, sermons, shrinesl" 



Poets of all times have sung of flowers; and Mary Howitt's pious interpretation of 

 their mission and teaching, how often soever quoted, never loses its charm to our ears, 

 especially the lines — 



" Our outward life requires them not ; 



Then wherefore had they birth ? 

 To 7nini$ter delight to man, 



To beautify the earth ; 

 To eomfort man — to ivhisper hope, 



Whene'er his faith is dir>i. 

 For he that careth for thejioivers. 



Will much more carfare hirn." 



Truly, our heavenly Father and the blessed angels, — with all reverence be it said, must 

 be lovers of flowers; for they are scattered by the divine bounty, with lavish hand, over 

 field and meadow, on mountain and in valley. They nod to us from the tall trees, they 

 open their starry eyes by the side of the dancing, musical streamlet, and smile serenely on 

 us from the bosom of the placid lake. They are the acme and perfection of natural beau- 

 ty. They give the finishing touch to nature. They refine and complete the beauty of 

 earth's brightest, fairest scenes. They are to rocks and fields, woods and trees, what the 

 flushing cheek, the ruddy lip, the radiant flashing eye, are to a lovely woman or a hand- 

 some man. And flowers, like human beings, grow more resplendently beautiful, more 



