504 
blue Rose or a blue Dahlia, phenomena just as unlikely 
as that his Dorkings or his Brahmas would have a plu- 
mage of scarlet ; for, so far, we find that there is no such 
thing in nature as plants having scarlet, yellow and blue 
flowers, in varieties of the same species. Perhaps the 
nearest approach to it is in the Hyacinth, but in it, 
although we have yellow and blue, we have no true 
scarlet. 
The tricks of horticulture are not entirely confined to 
Uncle Sam’s dominions, although we give him due credit 
for the largest portion.- We occasionally hear of some 
from across the water. Several years ago when the 
writer lived in a thriving town in the Nutmeg State, 
having sole charge of a well equipped greenhouse estab- 
lishment, the employers, whose commercial pursuits 
generally kept one of them at all times on the move in 
foreign lands, would always on their return relate of 
some fine gardens or rare flowers it was their good for- 
tune to see, and above all, were particularly struck with 
the size and fragrance of the Carnation Pinks found 
growing in various portions of Spain and sold on the 
streets very cheaply in all Spanish cities. The younger 
member of the firm resolved that the next time he went 
to Spain he would not leave without either some plants 
or seed of the wonderful Pinks. In the course of a few 
months he again set sail for an extended European trip, 
and one day as he was walking the streets of Seville 
in the land of pinks, as he called it, he saw an old lady 
on a street corner selling those oft-told-of pinks. He 
inquired about the plants or the seed, and was glad to 
find the old lady had the seed for sale as well as the 
alluring blooms. A bargain was at once struck, and a 
liberal portion of the seed were soon on their way that 
were to ere long beautify this particular Connecticut 
