104 



The botanist and the florist, though sometimes com- 

 bined in the same individual, possess severally elements 

 of knowledge and taste of great divergency, the former 

 always looking with jealousy upon the labors of the lat- 

 ter ; knowing well that the doubling of flowers and the 

 variegation of the foliage of plants are accidents or inno- 

 vations more or less destructive to plant vitality and the 

 purity of the species. 



The tendency of reversion to primitive types is so well 

 understood that no florist can keep a fine selection of rar- 

 ities without the most careful destruction of rogues among 

 his plants, and the most diligent strain of his seeds. 

 Upon a cessation of this care these varieties fall back year 

 by year with considerable rapidity to their primitive spe- 

 cies or type. 



In our day, varieties seem to be almost manufactured 

 to order, be the caprice of the market what it may. Who 

 has not been surprised as well as delighted by the rapid 

 increase of plants of different genera and species, adorned 

 with particolored foliage, some of which, like the zonale 

 geraniums, taking on hues like the rainbow, and vicing 

 even the plumage of birds. The rapidity and seeming 

 spontaneity of these changes must to the ordinary obser- 

 ver be puzzling indeed. 



Though we have claimed these as the product of the 

 hand of man, it is more nearly like retaining the angel 

 till he blesses us, rather than calling him from the skies. 



It is not uncommon to find similar accidental forms 

 even among wild plants in their native abodes, as we can 

 bear witness, having found double mountain laurel, 

 striped cardinal flower, yellow columbine, quilled white- 

 weed, linear petaled Oenothera, double saxifrage and many 

 others not readily called to memory. 



Albinos and stripes among the green spray of the natu- 



