FLOWER-BASKETS. 
them at flower-shows, may be said 
to use them as instruments for gam- 
bling. All the varieties of florists’ 
flowers are named, and every year 
many new kinds are raised, which 
are eagerly sought for, and sell for 
enormous prices. 
ble that all florists’ flowers should 
either hybridize freely, or vary very 
much from seed. The principal 
florists’ flowers are the Hyacinth, 
the Tulip, the Dahlia, the Auricula, 
the Polyanthus, the Carnation, and 
the Pink; but to these may be 
added the Ranunculus and the 
Anemone, and, of late years, the 
Geraniums or Pelargoniums, the 
Heartseases, the Calceolarias, and 
the Chrysanthemums. Of all the 
kinds, the Dahlia is undoubtedly 
that respecting which there is most 
gambling and most rivalry. It 
may be observed, that the rules by 
which florists decide as to the merits 
of their respective flowers do not 
depend on any particular beauty of 
colour, and sometimes not even on 
form; but on certain arbitrary cri- 
teria which they have settled among 
themselves; as, for example, no 
Auricula or Polyanthus is admired 
that is what is called pin-eyed, that 
is, if the style projects beyond the 
stamens; and a perfect Dahlia 
should not show any green in the 
centre. ‘Thus as it requires to be 
a florist to know the full meri: of 
florists’ flowers, they are of conina- 
ratively little interest to amateurs. 
Fios Apvo‘nis.—See Apo'nis. 
FLower Fence.—See Cazsatpi’- 
NIA. 
Fiower Baskets.—These may 
pe constructed in many different 
ways ; some being intended to ap- 
pear as if set on the ground, and 
others to be raised on pedestals. 
The former are generally construct- 
ed with curved pieces of iron, fur- 
nished with sharp spikes for entering 
the ground, like the prongs of a 
fork ; and these are placed so as to 
208 
It is thus desira- | 
FLOWER-BASKETS. 
| form a circle, with wires for climb- 
ing plants extended across it, like 
| the handles of a basket. ‘The plants 
must be trained up a wire frame in 
the centre, and thence brought 
| down the wires to the curved pieces 
of iron forming the border of the 
_basket. The basket may be filled 
up with flowers or not, at pleasure. 
Other receptacles for flowers may 
| be wicker baskets, with the inter- 
stices stuffed with moss; or the 
jars in which grapes have been sent 
over; but when these last are used, 
or any other kind of vessel which is 
very deep in proportion to its 
breadth, the lower part should be 
filled with brickbats, pieces of free- 
stone, and other similar materials, 
to within about a foot or six inches 
of the top. In ail cases where 
Fig. 19.—China Flower-Basket. 
flowers are grown in baskets and 
boxes, they should stand on a lawns 
and the most luxuriant growing 
% 
