FLORISTS' FLOWER-GARDEN. 178 



FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 



they can readily receive shelter from rain 

 and from a too ardent sun. 



A useful bed or stage for the reception 

 of these may be prepared by laying down 

 about six inches of coal -ashes upon the 

 natural soil, over which a platform should 

 be made by a flooring of square tiles, 

 closely fitting into each other. Over this 

 are to be laid seven rows of bricks, equi- 

 distant from each other ; and on these, at 

 regulated distances, the pots may be ranged 

 after the operation of potting has been per- 

 formed in May. 



Shelter and shade can be provided in 

 the following manner : A row of strong 

 stakes, sufficiently close together to sup- 

 port a top rail without interfering materially 

 with the pots which occupy the centre of 

 the bed. These stakes should be 6 feet 

 high, and 5 inches by 4 inches in size, and 

 should be driven at least 20 inches into the 

 solid soil ; the top rail being sufficiently 

 strong to receive and support the shutters. 

 A similar row of stakes, with top rail, must 

 be driven on each side of the bed, and 

 about 2$ feet from it. Three inches on 

 each side of the bed there should be another 

 row of 6 stakes of equal strength, but only 

 1 8 inches above the ground ; the top being 

 notched in the form of the lettei V- 

 The use of these stakes will be obvious ; 

 they are to receive and support the lower 

 end of the shutters the central top rail 

 when closed ; and the outside rails are to 

 receive and support them when it is desired 

 to throw them open. 



The shutters, each 4 yards long and 3 

 feet wide, when closed, form a span-roofed 

 pit open at the sides, three posts supporting 

 each shutter. They are made with feather- 

 edged inch deal, forming a solid frame ; 

 me centre may be deal, felt, or any material 

 impervious to heavy rains ; if of glass, there 

 should be an arrangement for shading with 

 calico, or some other material ; and the 

 frames should lap one over the other at the 



sides, and meet at a proper angle at the top, 

 so as to form a ridge. 



Florists' Flowers. 



The flowers generally known as florists' 

 flowers comprise the dahlia, hollyhock, 

 chrysanthemum, tulip, polyanthus, auri- 

 cula, heartsease or pansy, ranunculus, the 

 anemone, carnation, pink, picotee, hya- 

 cinth, &c., &c., for florists have largely 

 increased the objects of their care ; but the 

 present list may be taken as including all 

 which can properly be called florist's 

 flowers. 



Florists' flowers, as we see them in their 

 present state of cultivation, prove how im- 

 mense is the field which Nature lays open 

 to reward the industry and intelligence of 

 man. Who can place the different flowers 

 which have passed under the florist's hand 

 for cultivation side by side with their wild 

 originals without being struck with wonder 

 at the almost marvellous results which fol- 

 low from the ingrafting of nature and art ? 

 Compare the pansies of some of our recent 

 prize-shows with the wild heartsease of the 

 woods, and it is hardly possible to realise 

 the idea that the two stand to each other 

 in any sort of genealogical relationship ; 

 and the same is true of pinks, and hya- 

 cinths, and anemones. Nor, indeed, is the 

 contrast yet at its height, for every year 

 fresh progress is being made in symmetry, 

 in richness and variety of colouring, or in 

 size. Look at the dahlias and chrysanthe- 

 mums of the present day, and think what 

 were considered good flowers, and actually 

 called forth admiration, some twenty years 

 ago. The different varieties which come 

 under the head of florists' flowers are so 

 rich in beauty that most persons take 

 delight in them. Indeed it is quite im- 

 possible for a garden to be really gay with- 

 out its share of them, and with them any 

 garden may be gay at all seasons, except 

 in the depth of winter. Even as the year 



