38 ON THE NAMES OF FLOWERS. 



tliem, they will be found to be a pure white. A watering from a 

 watering-pot with a rose on it, will remove any of the earth that may 

 remain about the flowers. Different parts of the plant may be 

 covered, according to the fancy of the operator ; half of the flowers 

 may be red and the other half white, or there may be a circle of 

 white flowers surrounding the red on the same plant. They will 

 continue wbite for some time, and it may be amusing to some persons 

 to observe the gradual progress of the colour growing upon the 

 flowers. A sudden change may be made in the appearance of the 

 flower-garden by means of this simple plan. 

 September 12, 1842. 



ARTICLE VIII. 



ON THE NAMES OF FLOWERS. 

 (From the Quarterly Review.) 



COMMUNICATED BY Ml*. WILLIAM HARHISON, FE1.TON. 



" Before we have done with the florists and botanists, we must say 

 one word about their nomenclatures. As long as the extreme vul- 

 garity of the one and the extreme pedantry of the other continue, they 

 must rest assured that the majority of this fastidious and busy world 

 will be scared from taking any great interest in their pursuits. 



Though 



' A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,' 



there is certainly enough to prejudice the most devoted lover of flowers 



against one that comes recommended by some such designation as 



'Jim Crow,' or 'Metropolitan Purple,' or ' King Boy,' or 'Yellow 



Perfection.' When, indeed, Calceolarias and Pansies increase to two 



thousand named varieties, there must, of course, be some difficulty in 



finding out an appropriate title for every new upstart ; but, in this 



case, the evil lies deeper than the mere name. It consists in puffing 



and palming off such seedlings at all, half of which are either such 



counterparts of older flowers, that nothing but the most microscopic 



examination would detect a difference, or else so utterly worthless as 



to be fit only to be thrown away. This is an increasing evil ; and if 



any thing gives a check to the present growing taste for choice 



flowers, it will arise from the dishonesty and trickery of the trade 



itself. Meanwhile, let there be at least some propriety in the names 



