76 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ Apeil, 
sufficiency of pollen, but in these sorts it seems to be to a great extent in¬ 
effective. Take especial care to avoid cold draughts or sudden changes, which 
are especially injurious to growing Vines at this critical stage. In the third class, 
the best type is the Black Morocco. The flowers of this variety are found to 
have the anthers singularly moist, so that the pollen seems glued up and cannot 
escape ; there is always a scarcity of pollen, and this may perhaps account for 
the extremely bad-setting properties of this variety, of which it is rare, indeed, 
that any perfect examples are seen, unless they are artificially impregnated, and 
that frequently with the aid of foreign pollen. A high temperature and some¬ 
what dry atmosphere are the most beneflcial conditions in aid of success. 
The illustration here given is that of a small bunch of the Black Morocco, 
in which it will be seen that only one or two berries have been properly set, and 
have continued to grow on; the small berries never grow larger, although they 
ripen, and are very good. In this respect they exactly resemble those varieties 
which are termed “ stoneless ” Grapes, such as the Black Monukka, Corinth, 
Bultana, &c., which never produce any perfect berries.—A. F. Bareon, Chiswiclc, 
CAENATIONS AND PICOTEES. 
Chapter IV.— What Constitutes Exoellenoe ?—Work for April. 
® HE question “ What constitutes excellence in the Carnation and Picotee ?” 
is a large one, and I should approach its consideration with great diffidence, 
f were it not that, in the admirable essays on the “Philosophy of Florists’ 
Flowers,” by “ Iota ” (the late Eev. George Jeans), first published in the 
volume of this work for 1849, we have ample materials for its determination. 
These essays are a masterly vindication of the pursuits of the florist, and a 
most lucid exposition of the principles upon which he works. They constitute 
a floral library in themselves, and should be in the hands of every one who values 
flowers, and desires to understand wherein their points of excellence consist. 
In the first three papers on this subject, the author conflnes himself to refuting 
the objections of those who take exception to the work of the florist, and I shall 
need only to avail myself of one extract, viz., his statement (see page 158) 
“ that in every species of flower, even though we should never reach it in practice 
to see it, there certainly is an external standard of perfection ; because care and 
cultivation uniformly develop certain qualities, differing in each species, which 
are only dimly, and perhaps not at all, seen in their wild or natural state.” 
In succeeding papers, our author tells us, “ The end proposed by the Creator 
in the arrangement and colours of the petals of a flower is that which is 
pleasant to the eye ; and the two means by which this is produced are Form and 
Colour.” 
“ Form is available in two respects— absolute^ or direct, which is sought for 
its own sake ; in that some forms are in their nature more pleasing than others, 
as a curve is more graceful than a straight line, and some curves than others ; 
and relative or indirect, which is subsidiary to some other purpose ; in that some 
