FLORISTS' FLOWERS. 



17 



operated to draw attention away from the flowers 

 dear to the florist ; old growers of repute died, and 

 there were none to fill their places. The Tulip, 

 Anemone, Ranunculus, Hollyhock, and a few others, 

 have in these days almost gone out of cultivation, 



speculation, it may be remarked that the " single " 

 form of the Dahlia, which the florists of the 

 past generation laboured so hard to develop into 

 a symmetrically-shaped, full, and approximately per- 

 fect "double" flower, has become one of the most 





Double Attricula Pxjefukea' P^*^^**^^ 



though there are still a few valuable collections of 

 the first to be met with in the Midland Counties, and 

 particularly in Lancashire. Thirty years ago several 

 fine collections of Tulips were grown near London ; 

 now there is scarcely a remnant of one to be met 

 with. 



And, as showing that in the world of flowers there 

 are revolutions of opinion and sentiment simUar to 

 those which occur in the realms of thought and 

 2 



popular of the floral pets of the day, and admirer!? 

 of these look askance at the large, well-formed, 

 double Dahlias the florist loved so well. The rapid 

 growth and wide development of a taste for floral 

 decorations, which is one of the prominent social, 

 characteristics of the present day, has had a great 

 deal to do with originating a preference for " single "' 

 flowers, as being more elegant and graceful for table- 

 and general home decoration. The single Chrysan- 



