1852.] THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. 215 



Unhappy in the absence of this unnatural law. The impulse afforded 

 0° by salutary laws to the enterprise of the citizen, affords us abundance 

 / of flowers to deck the rich halls where beauty and dignity assemble 

 for relaxation. The rigor of the season admonishes us to close out the 

 chill air of winter, and live as if it were summer, surrounded with the 

 foliage and flowers of other climes, and an artificial atmosphere ren- 

 dered quite convenient by human skill and invention. We cannot 

 traverse the city and its districts without being struck with ranges of 

 glass of immense extent, under which are deposited the vegetable pro- 

 ductions of climates of a different character from our own — where 

 science and^skill are concentrated, and a portion of the surplus capital 

 of the merchant is turned into quite a different channel, producing 

 nothing but the means of natural and pure gratification and enjoy- 

 ment; for after all, the bouquet which this evening adorns the draw- 

 ing room centre table, is to-morrow, or the day following, but decayed 

 vegetable matter, making but a very trifling return for the outlay, ac- 

 tually absorbing the means spent in its production — returning nothing 

 but a little of that pure pleasure so free from alloy, which is after all 

 but too rare in the social system of the present day. 



The many mercantile winter gardens, where anxious skill and in- 

 cessant labor nurse the tender plants of tropical climates, have not left 

 the American public destitute of the graceful accompaniment to the 

 evening party, soiree, concert, and ball — a choice bouquet of natural 

 flowers. We are well aware that there are many persons of high at- 

 tainments who can appreciate the divine and beautitul in other de- 

 partments of nature, and yet do not admire, do not care to behold 

 these frail offerings, produced at a waste of time and means. We 

 grieve that there are any such; but time will change this want of at- 

 tention to the smaller creations of their revered and provident Father. 

 Winter then comes apace, and cuts down as he approaches our favor- 

 ites in the garden. We appeal to art to afford a protection against 

 his destructive hand; but he destroys only to renew. We fly to the 

 conservatory — Hie ver ceternzim. Here art almost defies nature — or at 

 least assists it. To the cultivation of that art we have devoted these 

 pages, and those who already appreciate the glorious influences of 

 Horticulture, must not content themselves to see and admire, they 

 must read and study, so as to make the science so general that even 

 the mass of our people shall acknowledge its softening influences on 

 their lives and actions. 'Tis true, there is here no profitable invest- 

 ment for capital accumulated by excessive labor and devotion to mer- 

 cantile pursuits ; but the Deity is here in the flowers — he can be seen 

 I and admired in his creatures — a most important feature not witnessed 

 r ^ in the steady accumulation of wealth. We of course advocate our 

 «5 own interests in these remarks ; we admit it, but in doing so we hope 



ii^s^, __ ^om 



