OBSERVATIONS ON FLORICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE. 5 



Him who ' spake as never man spake;' and many and beautiful are 

 the lessons -which they are fitted to convey. The delicate snowdrop, 

 the welcome messenger of spring, so pure and pale — so true an 

 emblem of hope, and trust, and confidence, coming forth and saluting 

 us amid the naked landscape, amidst chilling blasts and beating 

 rain, while all its more gorgeous kindred are still slumbering in the 

 earth — the ' yellow cowslip and the pale primrose,' associated with 

 tender recollections of the. verdant bank with its little streamlet, 

 where we gambolled in joyous childhood and gathered flowers, 

 'In life's morning march, when our bosoms were young,' 



and Avhen the cares and struggles of life were as yet happily un- 

 known — the violet, with its modest retiring beauty, and its exquisiie 

 perfume, reminding us of the pure and invigorating breezes of 

 spring — the jessamine, ' with its dark green leaves and little silver 

 stars,' saluting us with its delicious scent through the open casement, 

 and bringing before our mind's eye the cottage porch with all its 

 interesting associations — the stately lily, calling to recollection that 

 memorable passage in the sacred volume, ' Consider the lilies of the 

 field, how they grow ; they toil not, neither do they spin ; and yet I 

 say unto you, that Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one 

 of these ' — the heartsease, the ' little western flower,' so beautifully 

 described by our great dramatic poet — the forget-me-not, with its 

 tender and touching associations — the pale narcissus, with its clas- 

 sical legend; — all of them, in short, from the rose, with its exquisite 

 combinations of perfume, form, and colour, which have gained for 

 it the first honours in the floral world, down to ' the meanest 

 floweret of the vale,' speak to the taste and feelings, to the imagina- 

 tion and the heart, and daily read us many lessons, silent, but not 

 less powerful, of the vanity of earthly pomp, of the beauty of hea- 

 venly simplicity and purity, of contentment and lowliness of mind. 

 Besides the pleasure and instruction which these productions of the 

 garden are in themselves fitted to convey, the use which has been 

 made of them by our most admired authors has caused them to come 

 home still more forcibly ' to our business and bosoms.' ' There has 

 never been a poet, simple or sublime, who has not adorned his 

 verse with these specimens of nature's cunning workmanship.' Their 

 natural beauties have thus been greatly heightened by these acquired 

 associations. To say nothing of innumerable other instances — what 



