1851. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



287 



Cali'ics' Pc|3artiusnt. 



FAIR AWD FLOWERS. 



The perusal of letters we are every clay receiving 

 from our Iticly readers, giving us the history of their 

 summer lubors in the cultivation of nature's beauties, 

 gives us unmeasured pleasure. The success has 

 more than equalled our expectations, and the knowl- 

 edge tliat we have done a little to increase the 

 love of flowers — to improve the taste, and increase 

 the happiness of our fair friends, well repays us for 

 all trouble and expense. Who could read such re- 

 marks as the following, vv'ith which a lady in Wood- 

 ville, JeiTerson county, N. Y., closes a letter, with- 

 out feeling a little pride, and a great deal of pleasure, 

 in knowing that he had done something, no matter 

 how little, to bring brightness to the eyes, smiles to 

 the cheeks, and joy to the hearts, of these little ones: 

 "I have some dear little neices that I have the care 

 of, that love the flowers dearly. They wish to know 

 if I am writing to the kind gentleman who sent us 

 the flower seeds. They wish me to say they had a 

 fine bed of flowers this year, and they have saved a 

 fine lot of seeds for^themselves and for other people." 

 Children are home flowers — they always love 

 their mates, the flowers of the field. 



Miss E. W. J., of Jefferson county, N. Y., as will 

 be seen by the following extract, has failed to raise 

 good ba!sam,s from the seed we sent ; 



"The Bixlsivms wliicli I received were not double, which 

 was rather a disappointment, but some young friends in tliis 

 vicinity, that received seed from you, had them of all kinds 

 and colors, as double as a rose." 



M. HuTCHiNGS, of Charlotte, Michigan, lias suc- 

 ceeded v\-cll. 



" The Balsams answered my highest expectations ; some 

 of them were almost as large, and quite as double, as the 

 rose." 



When we made the proposition to give packages 

 of Flower Seeds, we had a collection on hand that 

 v^e kn<^w to be fine ; but the demand was so large 

 that our supply was soon exhausted, and not being 

 willing to disappoint any, we procured from the most 

 reputable sources at our command, a further supply. 

 We regretted, on trial of this seed, ourselves, that it 

 did not prove as fine as we were led to hope. This 

 was probably the cause of the difference. , The bal- 

 sam loves a rich, and rather moist soil, and fine bloom 

 must not be expected on a puny, starved plant. We 

 are confident that the beauty of the flower depends 

 much on good culture in tiie early growth of the 

 plant. There is another point, also, to be considered, 

 and the followino- extract of a letter from Mrs. E. A. 

 Frf.k?iiaiN, of Wayne county, touches the question 

 directly : 



" I have raised one scarlet Balsam much resembling the 

 specimen given in the October number of the Farmer, but 

 am Rarful that I shall not have them as beautiful another 

 year, for the most perfect blossoms fell olT without producing 

 seed. And now I would ask. can jou always depend upon 

 the seeds, even whem carefully selected, producing the same 

 perfect blossoms, as such has not been my experience ; for 

 several seasons they would invariably be different, botli in 

 form and color, and a friend remarks that he has met with 

 the same failure." 



The most perfectly double flowers will not bear 

 seed, the seed bearing qualities of the flower being 

 sacrificed to its beauty. Consequently we have to 

 depend on inferior flowers for seed. If seed is saved 



from a single flower, growing in a bed with olliers 

 beantifuly double, we are pretty sure of getting a fine 

 collection next season, perhaps not like any particu- 

 lar flower in the bed, but partaking of the fine quali- 

 ties of several. Or, you may have some almost 

 perfect specimens of last year's flowers, while others 

 will be as single as the parent flower. If, however, 

 this single plant grov.'s alone, it v;iU not vary much 

 in several years. The same is true of Ten week 

 Stocks, the double flowers bearing no seed. 



A. S. W., of Rutland, N. Y., after a detailed ac- 

 count of her success, says : 



" Of Phlox Drummondii, I have seven shades. It seems 

 to strike the attention of every beholder. Thoy are all very 

 line sorts. I am very much pleased with them, and please 

 accept my warmest th^nks. Your flowers have helped to 

 add to the happiness of one who is a stranger to health. 

 I feel that I can learn many lessons from flowers, and may 

 I, with all the lovers of flowers, learn to love llim who is 

 tbe author of such beaiuies." 



We must beg to be excused for showing a little 

 vanity, by publishing the extract below of a letter 

 received from Miss'll. C. E., of East Avon, N. Y. 

 We should like to see the editor w.ho, with such an 

 interesting document before him, written in a beau- 

 tiful feminine hand, would have the good sense to 

 keep it to himself. For ourselves, we like to give 

 all an opportunity to participate in our pleasure. 



" Allow me to express my gratitude for the benefits con- 

 veyed by reading your good paper. It has been a visitor at 

 my father's house from "time immemorial" in my past his- 

 tory, and I find it no less useful to farmers" daughters tlian 

 to farmers themselves. To those \\ i'.o wish to know more 

 of the benevolent provisions of our kind Creator; whether 

 fiirmers or otherwise, it cannot foil to be read with interest. 

 Though always fond of flowers, I am indebted to the Far- 

 mer for the desire which I have to exert myself in their cul- 

 tivation, arid for most of the knowledge I possess upon the 

 subject. I am assured that by turning ones attention assid- 

 uously to it, one may not only improve and establish their 

 health, but procure an actual blessing for themselves and 

 others. Henceforth I intend to make gardening one of my 

 regular pursuits, improving all of the facilities within my 

 reach." 



We have urged the ladies to cultivate flowers. 

 We have promised them, as a reward, increased 

 health and happiness — a love of beauty in the soul, 

 and beauty, worthy of their love, in smiling flowers, 

 and a pleasant home. We have endeavored to fur- 

 nish means, as much as in our power, to gratify this 

 taste, with little cost or trouble to our friends ; and it 

 is no mean pleasure to know that we have not labor- 

 ed unthanked, or unrewarded by kind and approving 

 words. The success of the past will excite us to in- 

 creased exertions for the promotion of rural taste, 

 and if the wilderness does not " blossom as the rose" 

 before long, it shall not be laid to our charge. Our 

 enlarged paper, for the coming year, (1852,) will 

 give us increased facilities, which we shall not bo 

 slow to improve. 



We will furnish to the wife or daughter of every 

 subscriber who may apply for the same, by letter or 

 otherwise, a package of choice annual flower seeds of 

 from twelve to eighteen varieties. The applications 

 will be filed, and the seeds sent as soon as some seeds 

 we are importing, to make up our collection, shall 

 arrive. We shall give engravings in the Farnier, 

 during the year, of most of the flowers, seeds of 

 which we may send, so that applicants may know 

 what to expect. All we ask in return is, tlial the 

 ladies should introduce us to their friends, if they 

 think us worthy of such attention. 



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