THE FLORIST. 
67 
arrange with different nurserymen to supply them with the require¬ 
ments of their gardens, and, as payment, hand over to them the 
seedlings they raise. In due course, these appear in the nursery¬ 
man’s catalogue, with the raiser's description and character; and 
parties purchasing are often disappointed. How much better to 
make these things simple money transactions, and let new varieties 
find their value, like any other production. 
I will not now enter on the subject of hybridising, or the method 
I pursue, as it requires more space than can be given to an ordi¬ 
nary letter, and more time than I have at present at my disposal; 
but I would hint to all young beginners, that they must labour even 
more diligently than the industrious and, sometimes (to florists), 
mischievous bee amongst their flowers, and love their sweets as 
much, or their hives will produce no honey. 
Newton Abbott, Devon, W. H. Story. 
To the Editor of the Florist. 
Sir, — Perhaps the unclassical writers or readers of The Florist, if 
any such there be, are not aware what they have borrowed from 
Greek and Roman poets who lived two thousand years ago, more or 
less. The very title of your periodical is from the Latin word for 
a flower; and the fabled goddess of flowers. Flora, was worshipped 
among the poor ignorant Pagans of Italy even before the building 
of Rome. They said she was the wife of Zephyr the west wind, by 
which, I suppose, the first author of the fable meant to declare that 
the west wind was favourable to the growth of flowers. All the 
imaginations of the mythologists, much as some have admired them, 
only shew how the created had wandered from the Creator; and 
the fables and fancies about flowers — the most unsullied part of 
creation as we may think — were as impure as all others that pro¬ 
ceeded from minds so far alienated from God. 
The games in honour of Flora at Rome were of the most dis¬ 
graceful description; therefore it must not be thought that admira¬ 
tion of flowers necessarily purifies the mind ; it may, unblessed of 
God, become a mere sensual gratification. Let us take heed. I 
may here refer to one curious particular connected with our retaining 
mythological names. The Narcissus, the Hyacinth, and the Anemone 
were fabled to have been beautiful youths, named Narcissus, Hya- 
cinthus, and Adonis, who were metamorphosed into those flowers. 
Perhaps the inventor of these strange stories looked with admiration 
at those lovely flowers till — being ignorant of the Author of their 
beauty — he began to imagine some anterior state of existence had 
given them such life-like glory. But we are as foolish as they who 
dreamed of these transformations if we see not God in his handy- 
work, and exclaim not with one of our sweetest poets, Thyself 
how wondrous then!” 
C. 
