1«71) ] 
REMINISCENCES OF THE LIFE OF A FLORIST. 
91 
tliG neatness of its habit. It comes from the 
rocky summit of Mount William in the Gram¬ 
pians of Victoria, where it grows at an elevation 
of 5,000 feet, and resembles in its general 
appearance the small papilionaceous shrubs 
which used formerly to abound in collections, 
but which have too generally been allowed to 
drop out from our collections of greenhouse 
plants. It was exhibited a year or two since 
by Messrs. Eollisson and Sons, and was re¬ 
garded as an acquisition. The accompanying 
illustration is from the Gardeners' Chronicle, 
It is described as an erect heath-like shrub, 
with virgate branches, which are glabrous, or 
sprinkled with a few hairs. The leaves are 
linear, terete, under 4 in. long, obtuse, channelled 
above by the involute margins, slightly scabrous, 
and with subulate jiointed stipules at their base. 
The flowers are in terminal heads, sessile with¬ 
in the last leaves, and are of a bright ros}"- 
lilac colour, the bracts being few and narrow, 
the calyx silky pubescent, the petals nearly 
equal in length, and the acuminate pod two 
lines long. 
Mr. Bentham remarks that this species is 
chiefly distinguished from F. hibbertioides by 
the unusual colour of the flowers—the very 
feature which will give it especial interest for 
our plant-growers and exhibitors of hard- 
wooded plants, since it will, in some degree, 
though imperfectly, represent the Burtonias 
which used to be so effectively exhibited some 
quarter of a century ago. Being of free- 
blooming habit, it is, during the early spring 
months, quite an ornamental object, especially 
welcome for its distinct colour amongst the 
pea-flowered shrubs, which at that period are 
found so useful as greenhouse ornaments.—T, 
Moore. 
REMINISCENCES OF THE LIFE 
OF A FLOEIST. 
OW I came to be a Florist is soon told. 
At seven years of age I possessed the 
earnest love of flowers, which is inbred 
in most children, and at that time I used to 
ramble about the fields for miles around my 
home, from early spring to autumn, searching 
for wild flowers. In the spring of 1809, the 
first thing that struck my attention was the 
common Snowdrop, a quantity of which was 
springing up, and blooming in a hedge-bottom 
not far from my home. I did not lose much 
time in running back for a table-knife, with 
which I dug up two bunches of the roots with 
as much earth as I could keep about them, and, 
carefully placing them in a little basket, proudly 
marched home. There I had commenced digging 
up a portion of the border for them, when my 
father came out to ask what sort of rubbish I 
was bringing in, and on my showing him my 
prize, he told me they would not grow in our 
garden as they did where I had found them; 
but I thought I should like to try, and as he 
consented, I planted them. The next flower 
that specially charmed me was the yellow 
Crocus, which was blooming in a neigh¬ 
bouring garden. I thought I should like 
a plant of this, and as I knew the person— 
one Antony Pearson—in whose garden it was 
growing, I went to ask if he would sell me a 
root. His price was 3d. a root, but on learn¬ 
ing that I was B. IP’s son, he made me a 
present of a bunch, which he carefully lifted, 
told me to carry it home with the earth about 
it, and plant it, allowing it to remain till past 
the first Monday in August, when, if I wished 
to increase the stock, I was to take it up and 
divide the roots, planting them again about 
three inches deep and three inches apart. I 
hastened home with my prize, and at once 
acted on the advice I had received. The next 
flow'ers I took home were the yellow Primrose, 
and a lot of wild Cowslips from the fields. 
After this I went to Pearson’s garden again, 
and what then struck my fancy was the old 
red Auricula, then called Bear’s-ear, or Baizers. 
I purchased a couple of roots, and one of an- 
