atid ofHural Improvement, during 1835. 617 



more towards improving the science of floriculture, than all the 

 practical experience of years had done before ; so true it is, that 

 great general results are often produced by petty causes working 

 separately, but, at the same time, on a number of different indi- 

 viduals. It is difficult to rouse the minds of persons who have 

 been long accustomed to traverse one beaten track, sufficiently 

 to make them comprehend any principle of universal application : 

 such minds can only be approached by a number of covert ways ; 

 and it is only when they find that these ways, though different 

 in themselves, yet, from being conducted all on the same prin- 

 ciple, all lead to the same result, that they begin to comprehend 

 that they may apply the same principle in other, and as yet 

 untried, ways. For example, though the principle of hybridisation 

 by cross fecundation was known even in the time of Bradley, in 

 1717 (see p. ^)77.) j ^.nd though, in after-times, it was found to 

 produce the most wonderful effects with regard to apples and 

 pears, &c., yet no one seems to have thought of applying it to 

 produce new and beautiful varieties of tulips till within this year 

 or two; but, on the contrary, the growers of these flowers had 

 the extraordinary and almost unexampled patience to wait year 

 after year, till certain self-coloured seedling tulips, or breeders, 

 as they were called, from some accidental combination of favour- 

 able circumstances of soil or climate, began to vary in their 

 colours, or, as it is technically termed, to break. Another ad- 

 vantage of the spirit of emulation excited by these flower shows 

 is, that it occasions a far greater number of plants to be propa- 

 gated, for the sake of trying experiments, &c., than would other- 

 wise be thought of; and this rage for increasing plants, spread- 

 ing through all the persons connected with gentlemen's gardens 

 and nurseries, induces them to raise themselves a great number 

 of plants, to decorate the gardens, not only of their own cottages, 

 but those of all their friends and acquaintance; and this leads to 

 the general distribution of fine plants throughout the country, 

 and, of course, adds very greatly to its beauty. 



Of the house floricultural plants, by far the most fashionable 

 at present are the Orchidese, of which a number of new species 

 are imported every year ; while others, previously imported, are 

 successively coming into flower, and are figured in almost every 

 number that is published of the botanical periodicals. The dif- 

 ferent opinions which prevail as to the mode of treatment of these 

 plants, viz. whether they should be treated in a natural manner, 

 that is, kept in a state of heat, moisture, and shade, like that in 

 which they grow in their native forests ; or artificially, that is, 

 by keeping them more in the usual state of stove plants in this 

 country, have been already detailed in this volume {p. 113. and 

 252.) ; and we only allude to them here, as being also likely to 

 promote the improvement of floriculture, by teaching gardeners 

 to observe, to reason, and to think. On the same account, we 



