FITNESS. 



103 FLORISTS' flowers. 



flowers, differing from those of the 

 common Crowfoot in their petals 

 being pointed. It likes a moist shady- 

 situation, and will thrive under the 

 drip of trees. 



EYcus ela^stica.— The Indian Rub- 

 ber tree. A kind of Fig-tree, which 

 yields the East Indian Caoutchouc ; 

 that used principally in making the 

 water-proof clothing is, however, from 

 Brazil, and is produced by Siphdnia 

 CachucJiu, one of the Euphorbiacese. 

 lu both cases the trunk of the tree is 

 wounded, and there flows from the 

 wound a thick milky juice, which, 

 when hardened by exposure to the 

 air, becomes the Indian rubber. F. 

 eldstica is a favourite stove-shrub in 

 England, from its large size, and 

 shining leathery leaves; but it very 

 seldom produces either flowers or 

 fruit ; and, when it does, they have 

 no beauty. The plants should be 

 grown in sandy loam, and they strike 

 readily from cuttings. 



Fig Marigold. — See Mesembry- 

 a'nthemum. 



Figwort. — Scrophularia verna- 

 lis. — A British plant with yellow 

 flowers, growing in moist places. 



Fi'lices.— One of the natural orders, 

 which includes all the different genera 

 of ferns. 



Fitness in a garden, as in every- 

 thing else, is of the greatest import- 

 ance in producing a good effect. By 

 this term is meant the adaptation of 

 plants to the situations fitting for 

 them : for example, tall straggling 

 growing plants, which have a very 

 fine effect in a shrubbery, when backed 

 by evergreen shrubs taller than them- 

 selves, would entirely destroy the 

 beauty of a small garden, laid outinre- 

 gular beds. In the like manner, small 

 plants, however beautiful they may 

 be, are lost among others more ro- 

 bust growing. To avoid these incon- 

 gruities, the best plan is first to ascer- 

 tain, if possible, the habit of growth 



and general appearance of every plant 

 before introducing it into a flower- 

 garden ; and then carefully to con- 

 sider the situation in which it is likely 

 to look best. A little care and at- 

 tention in this respect, with common 

 plants, will have more effect in pro- 

 ducing a beautiful flower-garden, than 

 large sums laid out in the purchase of 

 showy plants without it. 



Flax. — See Lignum. 



Florists' Flowers are those which 

 it has been found may be grown to an 

 extraordinary size and degree of per- 

 fection by taking great pains with 

 their culture. The Dutch were the 

 first who practised this art with their 

 Hyacinths and Tulips ; but their ex- 

 ample has been followed by the 

 florists of other countries, who, as 

 they cultivate their flowers in the 

 hope of winning prizes with them at 

 flower shows, may be said to use them 

 as instruments for gambling. All the 

 varieties of florists' flowers are named, 

 and every year many new kinds are 

 raised, which are eagerly sought for, 

 and sell for enormous prices. It is 

 thus desirable that all florists' flowers 

 should either hybridize freely, or vary 

 very much from seed. The principal 

 florists' flowers are the Hyacinth, the 

 Tulip, the Dahlia, the Auricula, the 

 Polyanthus, the Carnation, and the 

 Pink ; but to these may be added the 

 Ranunculus and the Anemone, and, 

 of late years, the Geraniums or 

 Pelargoniums, the Heartseases, the 

 Calceolarias, and the Chrysanthe- 

 mums. Of all the kinds, the Dahlia 

 is undoubtedly that respecting which 

 there is most gambling and most 

 rivalry. It may be observed, that 

 the rules by which florists decide as to 

 the merits of their respective flowers 

 do not depend on any particular beauty 

 of colour, and sometimes not even on 

 form ; but on certain arbitrary crite- 

 teria which they have settled among 

 themselves ; as, for example, no Au~ 



