612 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



gods with wreaths of flowers. They constituted the mystical language of 

 poetry, and in our day, they are the testimonials of our gratitude. They 

 add brilliancy and luster to our festivals. We present them to those whom 

 we love. We place them on the coffins and graves of our departed friends. 

 We use them in decorating our churches on all joyful and religious occa- 

 sions. But, above all, we use them to adorn our homes; and who has not 

 felt their softening influence on his spirits ? What pleasure they afibrd us 

 when placed in our dwelling rooms, and how grateful and pleasant their 

 odor. And who is there when going to a strange house, and perhaps not 

 knowing any of its inmates, when ushered into the parlor, has not felt a 

 load, as it were, taken from off his shoulder, as his eyes glance on a little 

 vase of flowers ? for his heart tells him that here a genial spirit dwells. 

 We read that the celebrated Lord Bacon, while composing his sublime 

 philosophy, used to have a vase of fresh flowers placed on his table every 

 day. And what is there so lovely, after the cold blasts of winter, as the 

 flowers springing from their earthy beds. With what delight do we not 

 welcome the Primrose and modest Violet, gently telling us of the more 

 gorgeous flowers that are following in their steps as summer advances. 

 But there is a pleasure attached to the culture of flowers that never tires. 

 They soothe our mind, and cause us to forget the cares and toils of life. 

 Many of the most celebrated rneu the world has ever produced, have ended 

 their days in the quiet and happy pursuit of horticulture. And this is 

 easily accounted for, as flowers are ever changing, and showing us new 

 beauties. We sow the seed, and after a few days or weeks are gratified 

 in seeing the young plants springing from the ground, and then observing 

 them from day to day increase and develop their growth until they arrive 

 at perfection in blossom. Indeed, they are as it were our second children. 

 They require constant care and ^attention, and that care and attention are 

 so pleasing to us that we never tire of it. 



Look at that masterpiece of painting or of sculpture. It is beautiful ; it is 

 everything desirable as a painting or as a piece of sculpture; but it is the 

 same to-day as yesterday, and will be years hence. But not so with flowers. 

 Thej'- each have their season of flowering, and each year, as the returning 

 season advances, we look forward to it with as much delight to see a par- 

 ticular flower as though we had never seen it before. 



But let us turn for a moment to the commercial value of flowers. Few 

 are aware how important a part the products of flowers assume in our 

 every-day life. Whence come all the delicious perfumes of the toilet-table? 

 What would be the manufacture of pomades and soaps without the extracts 

 from the fragrant flowers to destroy the rancid and disagreeable odors 

 inseparable from all articles made from fatty substances? In Italy and 

 France, in Asia and Africa, and more recently in America, thousands of 

 acres are wholly used for the culture of flowers for their perfume. But at 

 present France and Italy take the precedence over all other nations in this 

 particular branch of manufacture ; and in order to give you some idea of 

 the extent to which this art is carried, I will give you the amount of flowers 

 that one manufacturer of perfumes at Grasse, in the south of France, annu- 

 ally makes use of. This house alone consumes over 80,000 pounds weight 

 of orange blossoms, 60,000 pounds of Cassia, 60,000 of rose-flowers, 30,000 



