THE FLORIST. 
19 
will make their appearance ; and at this time may be removed to a 
southern aspect, but must be carefully shaded from the sun. 
J. Neville. 
LOVE OF FLORICULTURE AMONGST WORKING MEN. 
To those who are fond of reading the works of their Creator, there 
is a book spread open for them whence they may copy many a lovely 
saying about the leaves and flowers. It is not confined to those that 
have abundance of this world’s riches, or who possess many a “ flower- 
entangled arbour.” The working man may read it in his native dale, 
or on the margin of his “ dear native brook.” The gardener may do 
much to increase the love of flowers among the various classes of the 
community ; so that every deserving periodical may be well supported 
that has for its object the spreading of sound knowledge in the vari¬ 
ous departments of gardening. 
One night, last month, I attempted to deliver a discourse on 
gardening to the members of a Horticultural Society ; they are, 
for the most part, hard-working men; but who, at times, find 
pleasure in cultivating flowers, fruit, and vegetables ; but florists’ 
flowers seem to have the strongest hold of their affections. I ex¬ 
plained to them the principal parts of a flower, as they are given in 
the “ Library of Useful Knowledge,” where a perfect flower is de¬ 
scribed as consisting of three principal parts, viz. the floral envelopes, 
the fertilising system, and the fructifying system. It was pleasant to 
witness the eagerness they manifested to become acquainted with the 
various parts of the flower. Many of the members are keen Pansy- 
growers ; and sometimes produce very good seedlings. I made 
some remarks on hybridising ; but verbal description would not 
satisfy them. An old man, by moonlight, and amidst wind and 
rain, went and gathered some flowers from his Pansy-bed, that he 
might have a better knowledge of the flowers he grew. So flower 
after flower had to be dissected, that they might learn what was 
calyx, and what was corolla; what parts were stamens, and what the 
pistil; filaments, anthers, and pollen, ovary and ovule, style and 
stigma, all had to be noticed. Young students of botany, in the 
flowery month of June, could scarcely be more happy in their stu¬ 
dies, than these mechanics learning something more about their 
favourite flowers in a November night; and although Providence 
has placed many of them in a humble sphere of life, it does not 
follow as a matter of course that they should be low-minded. We 
believe that there is truth in the remark that has been made, the 
more a man finds to admire in this pursuit, the greater will be his 
attachment to it; because the more he sees that the great, and the 
wise, and the good have prized the lovely objects of his care, the 
higher will be his respect for them, for his own taste, and for himself. 
Peter Mackenzie. 
[You are right, Peter; because your lot in life is a humble one, 
there is indeed no reason that you or any of your class should be 
