NEW PLANTS. 
99 
ADVICE TO PURCHASERS OF NEW PLANTS. 
The position of the amateur horticulturist, the true lover of 
plants, who, anxious to possess the best of new things as they are 
seasonally produced, without encumbering his conveniences with 
aught but the best is indeed embarassing, as he reads the many 
advertisements of recent productions, all described in positive 
terms of unequalled beauty, and so superior to all coexisting va¬ 
rieties that, after indulging in one lingering doubt, he purchases, 
and in very many cases is disappointed by shortly after meeting 
ith some other which is “ decidedly superior.” The remedy 
for this crying evil evidently rests with the public journalist; and 
it is perhaps a matter of reproach that the subject has been 
hitherto so entirely neglected. It is one so full of difficulty, 
and extends over such delicate ground, that all have hesitated to 
approach it, contenting themselves with the offer to give opinions 
on such as may be referred by their several owners—a course 
which may be certainly said to evince some idea of the conse¬ 
quence of the subject and a desire to render service, but which 
in itself must fall short of the required positive advice, that the 
purchaser feels is necessary to afford him any real assistance in 
his selection. We are aware of some of the most forcible objec¬ 
tions to be raised against the publication of any decided prefer¬ 
ence among contending antagonist varieties—such as the un¬ 
doubted right of every party to effect the best sales they can for 
their several goods, and the plausability of allowing each to 
“find its own levelbut we do not forget that while this is 
going on the sinews of trade are being strained, skill and ca¬ 
pital misdirected, and a disgust engendered among those who 
otherwise would be energetic supporters of the science; which 
must inevitably recoil upon the original promoters of a system 
false in itself, and conducive only to error and disappoint¬ 
ment. We are also cognizant of the importance of the posi¬ 
tion we are about to assume, of its duties, and of the insidious 
attacks to which it may render us liable. Yet we hope, by 
an undeviating course of strictly honest and uncompromising 
probity, to effect the object in view, so much to the advantage 
both of those who buy and those who are anxious to satisfy 
the purchaser. The greatest difficulty we apprehend, and one 
