COMMON PINK. 187 



may best accommodate the public — his employer 

 — or his own fancy. Nature, though she cannot 

 be violently thwarted, may be led to answer many 

 purposes of skilful art. 



The foregoing are the bed and stage flowers 

 commonly cultivated in Britain. It is surprising 

 with what ardour this art is followed, not only 

 among professional men, whose interest is a suf- 

 ficiently powerful incentive, but by those of very 

 different avocations who have nothing but the 

 pure love of flowers to induce, and intense en- 

 thusiasm to excite them to cultivate those gems 

 of vegetation for their own gratification. This 

 species of amusement may be undervalued by 

 the utilitarian, as a vain employment; but nothing 

 can be called useless which so mainly administers 

 to innocent, mental, and social enjoyment. 



As these pages are written entirely with a view 

 to assist and encourage this rational pursuit, and 

 as the foregoing are not the only flowers which 

 deserve a place in the villager's or cottager's 

 garden, it will not be superfluous to add a list of 



