1S78. ] 
THE CULTURE 01’ AY ALL FRUITS—XV, 
135 
that of the rim of a Tuscan vase. And Meleager 
is, as. might be expected, an instance in this 
too of the loss sustained by a flower which 
gives up one of its properties, for it is as level 
as a Pansy. And therefore, notwithstanding 
its very high colour and beautiful tint, it is not 
brilliant. There is much value in the varying 
surface of the Pelargonium, another proof of 
which will be referred to presently under 
another head ; and therefore, from its greater 
richness in variety of outline, as well as for 
some other advantages, it is completely re¬ 
moved from fear of rivalry on the part of its 
humbler but not less pretty sister, the Pansy. 
“ Variety may also be produced by number, 
when the units composing it are alike, as in 
sjiotted, striped, or double flowers. Thus a 
spotted Calceolaria or a striped Marigold is not 
destitute of variety, by reason of the many 
changes of individual object the eye has to 
take in. The same may be said of a double 
Eose or Dahlia. Not that this is the only 
object attained by multiplying the petals, be¬ 
cause the general outline commonly undergoes 
thereby a complete alteration, and properties 
that were prominent before become subordinate 
or altogether obliterated, and others take their 
place. From this it happens that some flowers, 
as the Tulip, are handsomer when single, others 
when double, as the Eose. Nor is it always 
easy to predict which of the two is the more 
desirable form, until actual comparison has 
decided between them. A few general remarks, 
however, are applicable. 
“1. To bear the double condition with 
advantage the petals must be symmetrical, or 
such as that, a line being drawn lengthwise 
through the centre, the parts on each side of 
this line shall be alike. For if otherwise, the 
entire petal will have a peculiar and distinctive 
shape, in which some, and perhaps the chief, pro¬ 
perties of the flower are contained ; and these 
will be hidden and lost in the double form. 
The lower petals of the Pelargonium are sym¬ 
metrical ; but the upper petals are not, and in 
these the leading characters are found. And 
therefore a double Pelargonium would be no 
advantage. The double condition would re¬ 
duce all at an equal distance from the centre 
to an equal value, or else would make a one¬ 
sided flower. It so happens that direct experi¬ 
ment has in a manner shown this to be correct, 
for this year I had a blossom of Aurora with 
four upper and six under petals—an exactly 
double allowance ; and certainly it was no im¬ 
provement. 
“ 2. Size by itself gives no means of judging; 
for the Dahlia is as large as the Tulip, and the 
former gains, while the latter loses, by being 
doubled. So again, on the other side, the 
Hepatica loses, while the Dais}’ and American 
Groundsel, which are no largei', gain by it. 
“ 3. But size and colour conjointly do enable 
us in some measure to form a judgment. For 
if delicacy of touch in the strokes of colouring 
be one of the leading characteristics of the 
flower, according to which varieties are dis¬ 
cerned and prized, the individual blossom is of 
more importance than the mass of bloom, and 
size (proportionate to the growth and habit of 
the plant) is indispensable; in which case 
multiplying the petals hides the beauties and 
deteriorates the character. A double Auricula 
or a double Tulip could never be endued with 
so many points of excellence as belong to them 
in their single state. This is not the case with 
a Eose or a Dahlia. They are large, but their 
colour is valued as a whole, not in its parts; 
and the variety caused by numerous petals and 
a filled-up outline is advantageous to them, as 
their size admits of such an increase without 
detriment to their brightness. 
“ But if, on the contrary, it is the colour 
itself, and not the pencilling of colour, that is 
the characteristic, and the size of the individual 
blossom be small, then the brilliancy is greatly 
impaired by the flower being doubled. The 
single and the double pink Hepa'tiea are of the 
same hue ; but the single one is far the more 
striking flower, because its whole bright surface 
is seen. In the double, the petals being so 
small and seen edgewise, much of the bright¬ 
ness is lost, and it looks comparatively unin¬ 
teresting. In the Dahlia, Eose, and others, 
the surface is so much larger that this effect is 
not produced. 
“ The colours of the Cineraria are so bright, in 
some instances so dazzingly so, that even while 
its pretensions were far humbler than they are 
now, I have doubted whether, in losing the in¬ 
tensity of its hue, which would be unavoidable 
were it to become double, it would not propor¬ 
tionately lose its interest. It is now, however, 
developing qualities which put the other 
impediment also in the way, and render a 
double Cineraria a thing not to be wished for. 
“ Of variety produced by colours I shall speak 
under the head of Colour.— Iota.” 
THE CULTURE OF WALL FRUITS. 
Chapter XV.— The Apricot (continued). 
STf’BjY EFEEEING again to the case of a tree 
j carefully lifted and planted in the re- 
(5r quired position in October, the mutual 
action between the roots and branches must 
never be lost sight of in the after-stages of 
growth, as they depend upon each other for a 
proper development. Cut away the roots, and 
the branches immediately indicate that the 
source of supply has been interfered with, and 
become weak and attenuated. This is plainly 
obvious to the eye of the practical man, and in 
