SOCIETIES CLUBS FLORISTS. 27 



there are actually several existing " cucumber clubs" 

 and "celery societies;" and, within a very short 

 period, four or five treatises have been published on 

 the culture of the cucumber alone. Then we must 

 speak of the "flake" of the carnation the "edging" 

 of the picotee the "crown" and the "lacing" of 

 the pink the "feather and flame" of the tulip 

 the "eye and depth" of the dahlia the "tube, 

 the truss, and the paste" of the auricula and the 

 "pencil" and "blotch" of the pansy. Besides 

 these peculiar pets of the fancy, there are the old- 

 fashioned polyanthus, the ranunculus, the geranium, 

 the calceolaria, the chrysanthemum, and the hyacinth, 

 which are also under the especial patronage of the 

 florists ; and, lately, the iris, the gladiolus, the 

 fuchsia, and the verbena may be considered as added 

 to the list. 



The tulipomania of Holland is well known : it 

 was at its height in the year 1637, when one bulb 

 its name is worth preserving " the Viceroy" was 

 sold for 4203 florins ; and for another, called " Semper 

 Augustus," there were offered 4600 florins, a new 

 carriage, a pair of grey horses, and a complete set of 

 harness ! * 



The florimania, as it has been called we should 

 rather say "anthomania" has never reached so 

 ridiculous a height in England, nor, with all our 



* At the sale of Mr. Clarke's tulips at Croydon, in the year 1836, 

 100?. was given for a single bulb, " Fanny Kemble ;'' and from 51. to 

 1QL is no uncommon price for the new and choice sorts. We see 

 also frequent advertisements of geraniums and dahlias, the first year 

 of their " coming out," at the like price. 



