FLOWER 



3216 



FLOELA 



Flower, SIR WILIJAM HENRY 

 (1831-99). British zoologist. Born 

 at Stratford-on-Avon, Nov. 30, 

 1831, and edu- 

 cated for the 

 medical profes- 

 sion, he served 

 as a surgeon 

 in the Crimean 

 War, and be- 

 I came curator 

 I of the museum 

 BBBl^BI of the Royal 

 Sir W. H. Flower, College of Sur- 

 British zoologist geons in 186]> 



Elliott & Fry He wag ftp . 



pointed director of the natural 

 history department of the British 

 Museum at South Kensington, in 

 1884, which position he held till 

 retirement at the age limit. He 

 was the author of various books 

 on anatomy, zoology, and other 

 natural history subjects. He died 

 in London, July 1, 1899. 



Flowering Rush (Butomus um- 

 bellatus). Perennial marsh herb of 

 the natural order Alismaceae. A 

 native of Europe and Asia, it has a 

 stout, creeping rootstock, from 

 which the slender leaves rise 

 erectly to a height of 3 ft. or 4 ft. 

 The tall flower-scape is leafless, and 

 bears at its summit an umbel of 

 many rose-red flowers, each 1 in. 

 across, of which only a few open 

 at one time. 



Flower of Jove (Lychnis flos- 

 jovis). Perennial herb of the 

 natural order Caryophyllaceae. A 

 native of Europe, it is covered with 

 white, silky hairs, and has lance- 

 shaped, stem-clasping leaves in 

 pairs. Each branch of the stems 

 ends in a small cluster of purple or 

 scarlet flowers of the campion type. 

 See Campion. 



/ 



Flower of Jove. Leaves and flower 

 spray with, right, detached flower 



Flower-Pot. Common garden 

 utensil of potter's clay, usually 

 manufactured unglazed for poros- 

 ity. The top surface of the accom- 

 panying saucer should, however, 

 always be glazed in ftrder to retain 

 the water which reaches it through 

 the medium of the soil in the pot 



and conserve moisture. The out- 

 sides of pots should be scrubbed at 

 intervals, and thoroughly washed 

 out when the contents are knocked 

 out and the utensils are to be used 

 for other purposes. See Gardening. 

 Flowers, LANGUAGE OF. Custom 

 said to derive from the East, by 

 which a particular sentiment is at- 

 tributed to every flower, so that a 

 bloom or posy may convey a mes- 

 sage. Little volumes in which the 

 language of flowers was set out 

 were popular in England in the mid- 

 part of the 19th century. Gorse, 

 for example, indicates enduring 

 affection ; jonquil, reciprocated 

 affection; eglantine, I wound to 

 heal, etc. 



Flowering Rush. Foliage, buds, and 

 flowers of Butomus umbellatus 



Flower Show. Horticultural 

 exhibition, held for the purpose of 

 encouraging the cultivation of 

 flowers, fruit, and vegetables. 

 Local shows to stimulate interest 

 in cottage gardens and allotments 

 are held in many parts of the 

 United Kingdom. The judges 

 should be three in number, a 

 local amateur, a professional gar- 

 dener, both non- competitive, and a 

 stranger. The Royal Horticultural 

 Society will often send down a 

 competent, impartial judge. 



Rules governing shows vary much 

 under differing local conditions, 

 but it is necessary to insist upon a 

 written guarantee that all exhibits 

 are the absolute property of the 

 competitor, and have been grown by 

 him for a period of not less than six 

 consecutive months immediately 

 preceding the date of the show. 

 This stipulation should be em- 

 bodied in a printed list of simple 

 rules as to date of entry, number 

 of classes, etc., which every en- 

 trant is requested to sign. 



Good judges of flowers, will look 

 out for a combination of good 

 colour, size, form, and, where it 

 exists, perfume. 



Fruit is judged by size, colour, 

 flavour, and shape. Vegetables 

 must necessarily be judged en- 

 tirely by appearance, and must 



be smooth, straight, well coloured, 

 and of even size. Good judges will 

 ignore root crops that are crooked 

 or tap-rooted, no matter how large 

 they are. Crooked cucumbers will 

 not win prizes, neither will stringy 

 beans, even if of great length, soft 

 or loose-hearted cabbages and 

 lettuces, deep -dyed potatoes, or 

 spongy radishes. Root crops and 

 celery are often injured for the 

 show table by being scrubbed and 

 scratched by a hard brush to get 

 the dirt off, instead of being 

 washed with a cloth. 



All flower show schedules should 

 state whether flowers are to be 

 staged with foliage, or bare. The 

 same remark applies to dressing 

 vegetables with parsley. The 

 most important flower show in 

 the kingdom is the annual exhibi- 

 tion in May by the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society, in the grounds of 

 the Royal Hospital at Chelsea. It 

 was formerly known as the Temple 

 show, because it was held in the 

 Temple Gardens, London. 



F.L.S. Abbrev. for Fellow of 

 the Linnaean Society. 



Fludd OR FLUD, ROBERT (1574- 

 1637). English physician and 

 mystic. Born at Milgate House, 

 Bearsted, Kent, son of Sir Thomas 

 Fludd, he was educated at S. 

 John's College, Oxford, and took 

 his degree of M.D. at Christ Church. 

 He studied chemistry abroad, 

 where he became acquainted with 

 the writings, and adopted many of 

 the views, of Paracelsus (q.v.). Re- 

 turning to England in 1605, he 

 became a fellow of the College of 

 Physicians. 



Known as " the Searcher," under 

 the name of Robertus de Fluc- 

 tibus he wrote many works in 

 Latin, engaged in controversy 

 with Gassendi, Kepler, and Mer- 

 senne, and is believed by some 

 to be the inventor of the baro- 

 meter. As the supposed author of 

 the Summum Bonum, 1629, and 

 an apology for Rosicrucianism, 

 1617, he is credited by De Quincey 

 with being " the immediate father 

 of Freemasonry." He founded a 

 philosophy on the Hebrew scrip- 

 tures. He died in London, Sept. 

 8, 1637. See Freemasonry ; Rosi- 

 crucians ; consult also Athen. 

 Oxon., A. Wood, 1691-92 ; Works, 

 De Quincey, vol. xiii, p. 421, 1890 ; 

 Robert Fludd, Life and Writings, 

 J. B. Craven, 1902. 



Fluela. Mt. pass of Switzerland, 

 in the canton of Grisons. It ex- 

 tends between the Schwarzhorn 

 and the Weisshorn, on the carriage 

 road from Davos to Sus. On the 

 latter mt., at an alt. of 7,835 ft., is 

 the Fluela hospice. The road has 

 refuge galleries, used for shelter in 

 winter. 



