ON REARING FLOWERS. 



153 



chiefly by high cultivation from insignificant and almost 

 worthless plants : and they are among the most striking 

 proofs of the skill and ingenuity of man which the vege- 

 table kingdom affords. Many florists' flowers, however, 

 are often prized from mere fancy and caprice, rather than 

 for real and sterling merit and beauty, and their cultiva- 

 tion, when pursued too eagerly, has frequently led to evil 

 results. Thus the Dutch are said to have gambled in 

 tulips, the bulbs rating as high as £1000 each, though 

 probably never seen by the persons who bought them. 

 High prices are sometimes given for a single plant of 

 some florists' flowers when new and rare, and as much as 

 five guineas have been paid for an auricula or polyanthus, 

 and twenty or even fifty guineas for a tulip — a piece of 

 folly, when it is merely an indulgence of fancy — a mer- 

 cantile speculation, when for the purpose of breeding 

 more of the same sort for sale. It is, however, a danger- 

 ous speculation, and many respectable individuals have 

 reduced themselves and their families to penury and 

 want by too great an indulgence in it. 



The manufacturing classes of some parts of England and 

 Scotland are very enthusiastic florists, and derive great 

 pleasure from their gardening societies. At the meetings 

 of these societies, premiums are awarded to those who 

 exhibit the finest flowers, and keen competition is awak- 

 ened ; but such societies would not succeed well among 

 the agriculturists, as their labour is all out of doors, and 

 gardening consequently is no relaxation. As many indi- 

 viduals for whom this little work is intended take a delight 

 in growing plants of this description, a few plain directions 

 will now be given for cultivating the principal sorts. 



The old florists' flowers are auriculas, polyanthuses, 

 pinks, carnations, tulips, hyacinths, ranunculuses, and ane- 

 mones ; to which have been lately added dahlias, and 

 pansies, or hearts-ease. These are all perennials : but as 

 they each require a peculiar system of cultivation, they 

 have been omitted under the head of perennials, and are 

 here introduced. 



It is obviously impossible, in a work of this size, to give 

 more than a very brief outline of the principles on which 

 all or any of the plants thus enumerated should be 



