-^g"^ ., ^ ^ 



228 i;h{[ diartoer's .pionthlg. 



there can be no desire to divorce that which God 

 has thus united. Yet fruits and flowers are totally 

 unlike in their uses, and what may be predicated of 

 one is wholly untrue of the other. Flowers are 

 material in substance, yet they may be said to be the 

 nearest approach of the material to the spiritual. 

 In their true nature and use they are neither to be 

 eaten, or to be worn, to be bought, or to be sold, or 

 to be prostituted for vulgar display. 



By their innocence and spotless puritj^ — by their 

 subtle odors— by their marvellous mechanism — they 

 are designed to lead from the seen to the unseen. 

 Frail, transitory, artless as they are, they yet have 

 the strange fascination and power to transform, to 

 refine and to inspire the strongest, nay even the 

 coarsest natures. This influence is not tangible ; it 

 is indeed so subtly imperceptible that it is rarely 

 recognized. Yet who can doubt that in all the coun- 

 try homes of our fair land the pervading presence of 

 the bright and cheerful flower-plat has had an ele- 

 vating and a refining influence which in the aggre- 

 gate has been mighty for good? With what wealth 

 of prodigality are the hill-sides and the meadows 

 decked with daisies, asters, golden-rod and the 

 m5Tiad forms of beauty and joyous innocence in 

 which even our Creator seems to to take delight, as 

 he scatters them with such bountiful profusion over 

 the earth ! 



Dwellers in the country can " Go forth into the 

 open air and list to Natures teachings I f) how 

 shall Vt'e bring these influences to bear upon the busy 

 and care-worn denizens of the town? The profusion 

 of flowers in broad fields and dewy woods, or the 

 more regular beauty of gardens they cannot have ; 

 yet in a ."-eemingly unnatural way they can have all 

 the higher influences of flowers, at all seasons and 

 in all places. Unhke fruits, flowers are never out 

 of season, or never out of place. They grace the 

 drawing-room— they cheer the festive board— they 

 add beauty to the bridal scene— they are Hke a ray 

 of sunshine to the weary and desponding soul— they 

 speak words of comfort in the chamber of sickness — 

 into the house of death they bring gleams of hght 

 and love ; severest test of all, they are sweet em- 

 blems even upon God's altar. Severed from their 

 parent stock, they seem not less vital, nay perhaps 

 even more spiritual than when they drew their life 

 from mother earth. 



How shall the use and the influence of flowers be 

 extended in our cities and large towns? This is a 

 practical question, deserving careful consideration. 

 The present value of the flower trade is much larger 

 than is generally supposed. A few items may be 

 mentioned as indicating the extent and the pecu- 



liarities of the trade. In our larger cities it is no 

 uncommon thing to supply flowers, at a reception, 

 a bridal party, or a funeral to the amount of $200, 

 or $300. Indeed this is often exceeded in New York; 

 one reception party being mentioned where the flow- 

 ers alone were valued at $1500. On New Years day 

 1867 one of the principal New York dealers sold 

 flowers to the amount of $6000 and the entire sale 

 in tiis city on that day probably reached $50,000. 

 One of the most prominent and reliable florists of 

 New York estiaiates his crop for the past year as 

 follows : 



Camellias about - - 45,000. 



Bouvardias " - - 20,000. 



Carnations " - - . 70,000. 



Double Primroses - . - 100,000. 



Violets - - - 100,000. 



Tuberoses - - 60,000. 



Eupatorium, Poinsettia, Cape Jasmine, Stevia, 

 Heliotrope, Cissus, Hose Geranium, and other 

 plants in considerable quantity. 



A slight index of the trade is seen in the fact that 

 the four or five principal New York florists each use 

 wild evergreen, or Ground Pine as it is commonly 

 called (Lycopodium Dendroideum) to the amount 

 of over $4,000 annually. Judging from these items, 

 together with such other estimates as I have been 

 able to obtain, I incline to think the total annual 

 amount of sales of flowers in New York is about 

 four hundred thousand dollars. After making con- 

 siderable inquiry, I come to the conclusion that the 

 annual sales in Boston will amount to about two 

 hundred thousand dollars. 



Extending this basis to the other cities of the 

 Union and we have some impression as to the mag- 

 nitude ot this interest. Were these figures an index 

 of taste and a genuine love of flowers we might well 

 be satisfied and felicitate ourselves upon the culti- 

 vation and refinement of our people. But we have 

 to go deeper and examine the character of this 

 trade. It is the statement of the principal dealers 

 that the larger part of their sales is for bridal par- 

 ties, for receptions, and for funerals, or in other 

 words for the purpose of display. The genuine love 

 of flowers is often entirely wanting in this display. 

 And if to this use we add the important item of 

 gift bouquets, we shall see that there are few who 

 buy con ajiiore for home enjoyment. Let it not be 

 understood that we object to the use of flowers for 

 ornament and display. Nothing is more fitting, 

 in all places and upon all occasions, provided good 

 taste is observed in the arrangement. The fact that 

 some drawing-rooms are bedecked with flowers, 

 gaudy, glaring and obtrusive as the hostess of the 



