338 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 30. 
London, or the dealers in Covent Garden, could have no 
great difficulty in obtaining a supply from Paris. 
In winter, when flowers are scarce, the art of tying or 
preparing them in the manner of which 1 have noticed 
makes a great saving in the materials, for a panicle or a 
spike may be thus made to yield nearly a dozen distinct 
flowers; and in many aggregate flowers the lower blossoms, 
being first expanded, may be taken off without serious 
detriment to the upper parts. Several blossoms may also 
be tied together to form one flower, either in a round, flat, 
or elongated form. There are many rare and singular 
flowers, too, which it is impossible to gather with stalks 
more than an inch long, and when it is desired to make use 
of these in a bouquet, the tying process solves all difficulties. 
The Parisian flower-girl’s success in bouquet-making is 
owing, in a great measure, to the pains which she takes in 
the preparation of her materials; she is always trimming or 
forming her single flowers, and arranging them according to 
their various colours; for colour is her principal study. 
The Moss used, a species of Polylrichum, is plentiful 
enough in woods and hedge rows ; but this is most com¬ 
monly employed with flowers having but little stalk, and 
moistened with water to keep them fresh. But common 
Heath, Boxwood, Thyme, Myosotis, or, indeed, anything 
else in the same way may be used; for the object is not 
merely to keep the flowers fresh, or protect them from the 
pressure of the string, but also to set off the particular 
colour of the flower, which may be thus likened to a pre¬ 
cious stone set in gold, or a sparkling idea clothed in 
eloquent words. 
Next to the Moss, which prevails during the winter 
months, the Forget-me-not, and common Speedwell, are 
very popular. But the clever bouquet-maker is not confined | 
to a particular colour for the purpose of adding to the effect 
of the others which are to form the principal display; 
though green and blue, for obvious reasons, are most 
frequently selected for the purpose. I have even seen 
Parsley and Carrot leaves used with considerable advantage; 
but I only mention this to show that there is no limit to the 
range of admissable subjects, so long as the desired object 
can be attained. Anything that will produce the effect 
wanted can never be too vulgar; and it must be recollected, 
that these auxiliaries are always subordinate to the more 
striking colours. Sometimes, indeed, this principle is 
apparently reversed, and Roses, Dahlias, Asters, Tulips, 
Ranunculi, or African Marygolds, are surrounded with 
bright scarlet Verbenas, rich crimson Violets, yellow 
Crocuses, blue Gentian, or other small flowers having good, 
decided colours. The Oentiana acairiis, owing to its short 
stalk, is never seen in English bouquets, but in the hands 
of the Parisian flower-girls it makes a striking circle round 
a large flower, and it is also sometimes used as a centre. 
In the latter case, several flowers are tied in a cluster to one 
of the rushes, and the warm, rich blue colour may be 
softened by a circle of Myosotis. The practice of enclosing 
the larger flowers in circles of smaller ones, in the 
manner noticed, is chiefly applicable to what may be called 
the circular style of bouquet; because, in that style all, or 
nearly all, the principal flowers are thus enclosed by a I 
circle of smaller flowers before they are used. The general 
outline of a bouquet formed according to this arrangement 
is somewhat flat; at least, there are no spikes or panicles 
rising above the other flowers, as in the “mixed style,” 
or the “bouquet au naturel.” This bouquet is, in short, 
composed of circles, whose centres are formed by larger j 
flowers, all agreeing with one another in colour and posi¬ 
tion ; and while it is particularly suitable for flowers with 
short stalks, it affords much scope for the display of taste 
and skill in distributing the colours, and in placing the 
circles so as not to break one another. Modern horticulture 
condemns the practice of crowding plants together in a 
conservatory in order to have a complete collection; and the 
practice of putting a bit of everything in a bouquet is 
equally open to criticism: unless, indeed, the object is to 
fill a large vase, or scent a saloon, a bouquet should be 
confined within certain limits. In any case, there must be 
no packing or pressing the flowers together with any of the 
French models. Flowers, to be sure, are beautiful under 
all circumstances; but when bundled together in a heap, 
requiring to be held with one’s two hands, they become 
inconvenient, and really do not produce so much pleasure 
as when well selected and neatly arranged on a more mode¬ 
rate scale. 
The charm of a French bouquet is its lightness and the 
tasteful arrangement of the colours. Comparatively few 
flowers are used, but they are well-chosen and neatly put 
together.— r. F. Keir. 
GROWING POTATOES IN JERSEY. 
Ir any individual has a piece of ground which he does 
not know exactly what to do with, after he has broken it up, 
be it sideland, cotil, flat, dry, wet, peaty, loamy, or what not, 
he almost invariably decides, or is, by some of the surround¬ 
ing influences, induced to plant it with Potatoes; the pre¬ 
vailing opinion being, that it is not only the best crop for 
a newly-broken piece of ground, but that a crop of Potatoes 
may be procured where there is an improbability of any 
other crop succeeding. So piece after piece is broken up, 
and as the cultivated portion is increased over the surface 
of the island, so is the increased proportion of Potato crops. 
Early Potatoes constitute a “ valuable crop,” as a large pro¬ 
duce is generally obtained when they are planted in ground 
which is naturally adapted to the purpose, or is artificially 
made so, i.e., light and open. The second early varieties 
are also so from the very high prices of provisions and 
other influences combined. The cultivation of the later 
varieties, since the unfortunate seasons of 1846 and 1847, 
has been, in a great measure, discontinued, from the nume¬ 
rous losses sustained by those persons who perseveringly 
continued their culture, with a desire to maintain the credit 
of the cherished island of their adoption, or birth, for the 
produce of the “Jersey Blues” and “Jersey Whites,” so 
long and so deservedly well-known in the English markets. 
I cannot help thinking, that the wiser and the better plan 
would be to resign the “ credit ” due to that source, and 
endeavour to establish another and a better on some other 
grounds; and it would seem that it is already arranged that 
it should be so, by, as it were, a sort of general assent, and 
that, henceforth, “ ours” is to be the land of early Potatoes, 
and one of the numerous tenders to the London market 
supply. 
The great demand for early Potatoes has been amazing, 
and continues to be so, owing to the crop having been so 
remunerative last spring, the late frosts in England having 
so seriously affected it there; and this island having been 
free from any excess of cold weather last spring, the pro¬ 
duce was good, the price high, and the demand great; so 
great, indeed, that every available article in the shape of 
empty flour-barrels, boxes and baskets, were purchased of 
the tradesmen in St. Heliers for the purpose of packing 
Potatoes in, opening a new source of remuneration for the 
industrious, who have selected, or who occupy, Jersey as a 
place of residence, and offering the greatest inducements for 
the continuation of such a profitable employment of land 
and labour 
This article is prefaced with these few remarks, because I 
am desirous that as much information as I can impart should 
be communicated to all interested in this “pretty island,” so 
little cared for, and often so much abused by the visitors to 
it. They couple the inhabitants “ en masse” with the 
beauties, the fertility, and the advantages ; and having done 
so without any sort of “ pourparlers,” they condemn the lot 
“ en gros.” They weigh the reality against some “ magnified 
sport of imagination,” and finding the beam does not main¬ 
tain an horizontal plane, through the weight of “ imaginative 
magnificence and multiplied advantage ” counterbalancing 
reason, condemn the weaker or uplifted portions, without 
first weighing the value of their own “premature judgment." 
I fear that the readers of The Cottage Gardener will be 
inclined to consider that the state of furor ray earnestness 
sometimes induces me to display in the articles I pen for 
their interest and amusement, and wherein the interests of 
this “island” are concerned, may be compared to that of a 
“Mormon Elder” lashing himself into a state of despera¬ 
tion, so that he may be enabled to call into action all the 
strength of language his tongue can give utterance to, in 
the hope that “declamation will establish error." Calmly 
and coolly, let me dispel such an impression. It is not so ! 
