and of Rural Improvement generally, during 1842. 657 



may observe that the two guiding principles laid down by 

 M. Chevreul are, contrast and symmetry; the first regulates 

 the colours that arc to adjoin each other, and the second those 

 which are to occupy opposite and correspondent parts of the 

 same figure. A better selection of the kinds of flowers suit- 

 able for flower beds is also beginning to be made from the 

 immense number of names that appear in catalogues. To be 

 able to select suitable kinds can only be the result of consider- 

 able experience ; because there are many plants that have suit- 

 able colours, which flower at the proper period; and have, as 

 far as can be judged from a catalogue, all the qualities required, 

 which yet, on trial, will be found to run to leaves rather than 

 flowers, to assume a straggling habit, to grow too high, or in 

 some way or other to defeat the end in view. The object is to 

 select plants which, to all the other desirable properties, shall 

 add that of exhibiting their flowers more conspicuously than 

 their leaves. Plants which produce their flowers in close ra- 

 cemes or corymbs are particularly suitable for this purpose, such 

 as the verbenas and pelargoniums : and, next, those which pro- 

 duce their flowers from the axils of the leaves, growing and 

 flowering as they grow ; and which have their flowers large or 

 numerous, in proportion to their leaves, and produced at the 

 same time, such as the ylnagallis, Lobelia, &c. On this sub- 

 ject we have an excellent article by Mr. Ayres, which will soon 

 appear ; and Mr. Ayres has promised a separate publication on 

 the subject (see p. 379.), which, we feel confident, will be of the 

 greatest utility to the planters of flower-gardens. An article 

 on Florist's Flowers, p. 454., and one on Flower-Baskets, 

 p. 271., well deserve perusal. As a proof of the growing taste 

 for ferns, we observe that one nurseryman, Mr. Pamplin, is 

 advertising collections of them for sale. Mr. Cameron of the 

 Birmingham Botanic Garden, and Mr. Shepherd of Liver- 

 pool, have long been celebrated for the culture of this tribe ; 

 and they must be gratified to see their taste becoming popular. 

 Much of this is, doubtless, owing to the publications on ferns 

 by Mr. Newman and Mr. Francis. The new plants figured in 

 the course of the year are enumerated in the Contents, p. vin. 



Horticulture. — Under this head, in the Contents, will be 

 found an article applicable to the general management of fruit 

 trees (p. 499.), which embodies some useful principles. Tire 

 papers on the culture of the banana (a fruit as well deserving of 

 attention, in our opinion, as the pine-apple or the melon, except 

 that it does not bear carnage, p. 564.) reduce the treatment of 

 that plant to the simplest principles. The use of charcoal in 

 the cultivation of culinary crops in the open garden, as well as 

 in that of pine-apples and bananas in pots, as practised by Mr. 

 Barnes at Bicton, has been already noticed (p. 558.), and will 



3d Ser.— 1842. XI L v v 



