HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 3 



the amygclalus to the delicious peach ? or any of the farinaceous 

 grasses to the flour of wheat ? Yet these have all departed from 

 their original species, and have arrived at their present state of use- 

 fulness and pleasantness by human care. The perfection to which 

 the hybridization of flowers may arrive can hardly be guessed at ; 

 the varieties of some plants are already bej'ond calculation; but 

 there are many which are abandoned or neglected, as they are sur- 

 passed or improved upon, so that the numbers will always be kept 

 within certain bounds; besides, the widening of the gardening world 

 increases the field, as the increasing extent of country brought under 

 the influence of civilization affords room for the increase of the hu- 

 man race. What is produced in Europe is admired, is the fashion, 

 " struts its hour," and is passed over to us ; by the time it is intro- 

 duced to the remotest points of our country it is old in our neighbor- 

 hood, and is ready to be pushed aside for the next novelty. This is 

 not true however, of all varieties : the double white Camellia which 

 was introduced into England from China, where hybridization seems 

 to have originated, nearly a century ago, is still the most favor- 

 ite of its genus; so with others which have become standard favor- 

 ites 



The flower of which we give a representation in this present num- 

 ber, is one of those hybrids of the Camellia which have gained for 

 Philadelphia a great reputation in the horticultural world. It was 

 obtained from seed by Mr. John Sherwood, who has been the suc- 

 cessful raiser of many fine seedlings, and by him dedicated to the 

 late Mrs. Cope. It is certainly a flower which will take its place in 

 the very first rank, among the productions of both the old and the 

 new world. Our picture, which was faithfully and skilfully drawn 

 from nature by Mrs. Russell Smith, is of a rather immature flower, 

 the full-blown one appearing to much greater advantage as regards 

 form, the imbrication of the petals being more perfect ; the color is 

 unsurpassed in delicacy, and resembles in tone and markings the 

 varieties Duchess of Orleans, (of which it is difficult to obtain a good 

 flower, on account of its inability to expand,) and Low's Alexina, 

 which is inferior to our flower in delicacy. We can predict for it a 

 continued favor. The stock is in the possession of Messrs. Buist, of 

 Rosedale, and Ritchie, of Kensington . h.c.h. 



