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JOUBNAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAUDENEB. 



( October 3, 1867. 



Alba mutabilis, a failure in this garden. Petals thin and 

 loose, habit weak and straggling ; poverty-stricken. 



Fisher Holmes resembles Charles Lefebvre in colour, but is 

 inferior in all other points ; much too thin in the centre. 



Jean Lambert will please those who delight in large showy 

 flowers of dazzling colour, and are willing to overlook defect in 

 shape. It will be esteemed as a good garden Rose. 



William EoHisson is of fine colour, quite distinct from any 

 other variety — described as cerise rose. One of the kinds 

 in which a new shade of colour has been obtained. The petals 

 are excessively recurved, which gives the fully expanded flower 

 a rough and unpleasing appearance. 



Soui-enir d'Abraham Lincoln, purplish crimson, flat and 

 rough. 



Prince de Porcia, deep vermilion ; another instance of mag- 

 nificent colour. It appears to be defective in form and full- 

 ness. Another season may bring it out better. 



Jean Grier and Profcsscur Duchartrci I have not seen. 



Gloire de Ditcher (Ducher), seems more remarkable for its 

 vigorous growth and large flowers than for any particular merit 

 ID them. 



Coiiite Alphonse de Serenye is very pretty before complete ex- 

 pansion ; when fully open it is rather flat, but large and showy. 

 Colour clear red, slightly tinged with purple. 



Carl Coers is only an indifferent repetition of the old Leon 

 des Combats, hard to open ; very rough. 



President Mas, another of the brilliant red Eoses ; free 

 bloomer, but not of good shape. 



Pline, large and loose, of no merit. 



aiarceUa requires further trial ; not sufBciently remontant. 



Madame Baptiste Dcsportes, form of Comtesse de Chabrillant, 

 but darker and inferior. 



Souvenir de Dr. Jamain has not that s,\-mmetry of form that 

 could be wished for in connection with its fine colour, which is 

 new, having more of the bluish purple tinge than any other 

 Bose. It will be highly esteemed till a more perfect Eose of 

 the same colour appears. 



Josepliine de Beauharnais is occasionally very beautiful when 

 well expanded. Its petals are so much incurved, that it will 

 only open well under favourable circumstances, the outer petals 

 dying oiJ before the centre of the flower is suflicieutly visible. 

 Such is my experience of it here. 



Chevalier Kigra is very pretty, but not particularly striking 

 from others of the same colour — pink. 



Mailanw Charles Baltet, one of the Louise Oclier type. A 

 very pretty pale rose variety, larger and less formal than its 

 parent. 



I wish to be allowed to correct an error of one word in refer- 

 ence to Marechal Niel, at page 236. I ought to have stated 

 that the leaves of the inferior kind were less pointed than the 

 true one. Any one who has noticed a thriving plant of the 

 true Marechal cannot have failed to remark the extra fine light 

 green foliage, with the leaves much pointed (acuminate), like 

 those of Cloth of Gold, but more so. — Adolphus H. Kent. 



EMPLOYMENT OF FLOWERS IN AMEFJCA. 



Flowxes are material in substance, yet they may bs said to 

 be the nearest approach of the material to the spiritual. In 

 their true nature and use they are neither to be worn, or 

 bought, or sold, or prostituted for vulgar display. 



By their innocence and spotless purity, by their subtle 

 odours, by their marvellous mechanism, they are designed to 

 lead from the seen to the unseen. Frail, transitory, artless as 

 they are, they yet have the strange fascination and power to 

 transform, to refine, and to inspire the strongest, nay, even 

 the coarsest natures. This influence is not tangible ; it is, 

 indeed, so subtly imperceptible that it is rarely recognised. 

 Yet who can doubt that in all the country homes of our fair 

 land the pervading presence of the bright and cheerful flower- 

 plat has had an elevating and a refining influence which in the 

 aggregate has been mighty for good ? With what wealth of 

 prodigality are the hill-sides and the meadows decked with 

 Daisies, Asters, Golden-rod, and the myriad forms of beauty 

 and joyous innocence in which even our Creator seems to take 

 delight, as He scatters them with such bountiful profusion over 

 the earth I 



How shall the use and the influence of flowers be extended 

 in our cities and large towns ? This is a practical question, 

 deserving cnretul consideration. The present value of the 

 flower trade is much larger than is generally supposed, A few 



items may be mentioned as indicating the extent and the pecu- 

 liarities of the trade. In our larger cities it is no uncommon 

 thing to supply flowers, at a reception, a bridal party, or a 

 funeral to the amount of 200 dols., or 300 dols. Indeed, this 

 is often exceeded in New York ; one reception party being 

 mentioned where the flowers alone were valued at 1500 dole. 

 On New Y'ear's day, 1867, one of the principal New Y'ork dealers 

 sold flowers to the amount of 6000 dols., and the entire sale in 

 the city on that day probably reached 50,000 dols. One of the 

 most prominent and reliable florists of New York estimates his 

 crop for the past year as follows: — Camellias, about 45,000; 

 Bouvardias, about 20,000 ; Carnations, about 70,000 ; Double 

 Primroses, 100,000; Violets, 100,000; Tuberoses, 50,000. 

 Eupatorium, Poinsettia, Cape Jasmine, Stevia, Heliotrope, 

 Cissus, Eose, Geranium, and other plants in considerable 

 quantity. 



A slight index of the trade is seen in the fact, that the fonr 

 or five principal New York florists each use wild evergreen, or 

 (iround Pine, as it is commonly called (Lycopodium dendroi- 

 deumj, to the amount of over 4000 dols, annually. Judging from 

 these items, together with such other estimates as I have been 

 able to obtain, I incline to think the total annual amount of 

 sales of flowers in New York is about 400,000 dols. After 

 making considerable inquiry, I come to the conclusion that the 

 annual sales in Boston will amount to about 200,000 dols. 



Extending this basis to the other cities of the Union, we 

 have some impression as to the magnitude of this interest. 

 Were these figures au index of taste and a genuine love of 

 flowers we might well be satisfied and felicitate ourselves upon 

 the cultivation and refinement of our people. But we have to 

 go deeper and examine the character of this trade. It is the 

 statement of the principal dealers that the larger part of their 

 sales is for bridal parties, for receptions, and for funerals, or 

 in other words for the purpose of display. The genuine love 

 of flowers is often entirely wanting in this display. And if to 

 this use we add the important item of gift bouquets, we shall 

 see that there are few who buy, con amore, for home enjoyment. 

 Let it not be understood that we object to the use of flowers 

 tor ornament and display. Nothing is more fittiug, in all 

 places and upon all occasions, provided good taste is observed 

 in the arrangement. The fact that some drawing-rooms are 

 bedecked with floner?, gaudy, glaring and obtrusive as the 

 hostess of the occasion, or that a bouquet in the hand of a 

 corpse only serves to make death appear more hideous, does 

 not change the rule that these simple gifts of nature are most 

 perfect ornaments of the parlour, and the most touching em- 

 blems at the grave. If it is true that a desire for display is 

 offensively apparent and shocks us at the funeral service, yet 

 in general this use of flowers is wholesome and should be 

 encouraged. Our aim should be that this use should be im- 

 proved and the public taste be educated and refined. 



Florists have a work to do in this regard. For example, take 

 the prevailing style of flower pieces in New Y'ork. It is the off- 

 spring of this general desire for coarse, stiff, vulgar, uunatoral 

 display. " An even surface," is the inflexible rule. And so 

 the wide-faced Camellia and the tiny Cyclamen, the delicate 

 Rise-bud andtUeia-'ged Carnation are built up withLycopodium, 

 to a solid, eveu sui face ; and thus the poor innocent flowers are 

 so transformed from their true nature as to glare any sensitive 

 soul quite out of countenance. This arbitrary rule applies to 

 bouquets, baskets, and all kinds of work, to a surprising degree. 

 As a consequence, naturalness and grace are at once and for 

 ever abandoned qualities ; size and colour are the sine qnanon; 

 long stems are shortened, short stems are wired up, the Ca- 

 mellia is advanced to the rank of queen, and the modest Ericas 

 and Stevia are lost in the dazzling brilliancy. Undoubledly this 

 style favours the utmost breadth and contrast of colour, and is 

 the most economical use of material. It also allows great 

 variety in form, curious shapes and devices, hearts, crowns, 

 monograms, initials, ribbons, itc, &c. In some cases and to a 

 degree these unnatural and artistic etfects are striking and 

 pleasing. They are clear and positive and unmistakeable in 

 their character. On the lawn or iu the garden, we feel the 

 necessity for distinctness, breadth, and strength of colour. To 

 this end the ribbon style of planting is to some extent in vogue. 

 Harmony and distinctness in colour are equally desirable in 

 flower pieces, but the work need not, nay, must not be staring 

 and obtrusive. Let the motto be naturalness, and the highest 

 art will be attained. Seek iu all work to preserve as far as is 

 jiossible the individuality and characteristics of each flower. 

 The true beauty and the true meaning and influence of flowers 

 I will then be felt. Or, if otherwise, if flowers are arranged 



