26 
eye of the florist, that sucli flowers, though 
they may in other respects have good proper- 
ties, yet, failing in this central beauty, nothing 
can atone for it, and they are esteemed of 
small accomit. 
THE THRUM. 
The thrum should be of a bright colour, and 
the chives and apices, of which it is composed, 
clear and shining with little spangles, like gold 
dust 5 they should bexlistinct from each other, 
leaning inw'ard towards the pipe ; Avhen they 
seem clotted together, or look battered or mis- 
shapen, the beauty of the flower is much im- 
paired ; this is often occasioned by the humble 
bees, who, in search of honey or food, greatly 
injure these flowers. I know not how to pre- 
vent this, but by catching and destroying them; 
and the remedy often proves worse than the 
disease, for by endeavouring to catch and de- 
stroy the bee, you often destroy the whole 
flower. The rim, the eye, and the pipe, ought 
all to bear an equal proportion to one another : 
for where any one of these is beheld either too 
large or too small with respect to tlie others, 
it will give the eye of the curious florist great 
offence. If the rim is too large, the whole 
pip will look hea\7 and clumsy, and the eye 
