Indeed, it must be admitted, that amongst ourselves, 
the laws are, in some particulars, rather vague. 
Judges seem •occasionally to be thrown off their 
guard, by the size or the brilliancy of a flower; 
whereas, form should always be the first quality. 
And as regularity, with due variety, always indi- 
cates design, so will it assist in producing beauty 
and exciting pleasure. 
By thousands of sensible persons, the notions of 
florists, regarding the beauty of their productions, 
is ridiculed We allude to the notions which are 
entertained by those who cultivate a particular 
class of j)lants for competition. It must, however, 
be recollected, that the sense of beauty is instinc- 
tive, and that taste is progressive. In the garden, 
a child will be delighted with every flower; the 
most brilliant will prove the most attractive, but 
he knows not why. When a few years older, he 
will begin to discriminate, and the clearness and 
the harmony of colours will be more truly appreci- 
ated. His taste is progressively improving. Further 
advanced in life, his estimate of the beautiful must, 
amongst flowers, as amongst other works of nature 
or art, depend on the progressive training of the 
mind. It is not enough to pronounce one flower 
as more beautiful than another, without being able 
to give a reason for the opinion. If it were, novelty 
would stand the best chance for the prize. Although 
novelty be no quality of the thing to which it is 
attributed, it greatly sways the judgment, when 
this is not founded on any definite principles. 
Ere long, we hope to enter on the practical part 
of the florist’s province. 
