296 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 11, 1890. 
S^OiJlCUl^W 
--i-- 
The Philosophy of Florists’ Flowers. 
“The Philosophy of Florist Flowers,” by the late Rev. 
Geo. Jeans, needs no defence of mine, but I cannot 
refrain from expressing regret that any one, counting 
himself among florists, should write as “Fair Play” did 
with reference to Mr. Jeans’ valued essay. 
There are spheres of thought in this world yet, in 
which the old is better ; and a sense in which the past, 
being dead, yet speaketh. The essay in question takes 
rank as a standard work of its kind , and although some 
forty years have slipped away since it was written, yet 
the essay in its entirety was re-published at a later 
period (1878), under the conviction that such 
words should not be buried. 
I do not hesitate to admit that in this work the author 
is “a perennial lawgiver” in certain matters pertaining 
to our florists’ flowers ; though, in truth, he was not an 
inventor, but an expositor, and wrote of the philosophy 
of florists’ flowers with all the concentration and power 
of a critical and analytical mind. 
Truths, such as Mr. Jeans has expressed, are the 
“pure”—as the flowers themselves are the “ applied ”— 
mathematics of the florist, and include the axioms and 
postulates of his science. A schoolboy might as reason¬ 
ably affect contempt for algebra, and irreverently not 
believe in Euclid, as anyone assert that there are old 
principles, concerning florists’ flowers, that are not 
foundation truths; a philosophy in them which is 
irksome, stiff, and antiquated, and may therefore bo 
laid aside for some easy, loose, unstable substitutes 
that imply no patience, and demand no thought; that 
direct no aim, and incur no disappointment ; and 
lead, as every “facilis descensus ” does, to no advance¬ 
ment. 
But, quoth “Fair Play,” “ new tastes, and fashions, 
and ideas prevail; what we florists have to do is to 
adapt ourselves to the circumstances which form our 
present environment.” 
Nay, good “Fair Play” ! Our present environment 
must either come within our lines, or be kind enough 
to stop outside. It knows little of florists’ flowers that 
are not newly or particularly fashionable, though it is 
welcome to know all, if it will “ enquire within.” 
Our present environment, with its new tastes, fashions, 
and ideas, will, in the very nature of these, be ever for 
some change ; and it might ask us to go strange lengths 
“in ways that are dark, and in tricks that are vain! ” 
It might require of us to double our Tulips, and get our 
Dahlias back to single; to take the edge off our 
Picotees, and the stripes out of our Carnations, and to 
bestow “ liberty, equality, and fraternity ” upon the 
pin-eye in our Auriculas and Polyanthus—and we 
won’t I 
Our present environment ecstasises over a floppy- 
poppy Carnation, in preference to our serene and 
orderly ones—and we don’t I 
Our present environment has leanings towards the 
single Chrysanthemum, and is ever “casting sheep's 
eyes ” at our Queen Rose, in a state of single blessedness; 
till, for once, we could almost adopt words of Mr. 0. 
Cromwell (who in his quiet way was a gentleman of 
new tastes, fashions, and ideas), when he spoke dis¬ 
respectfully of what he called “ that Bauble.” 
Our present environment is apt to come forward at 
times, in certain oracles of the horticultural press, and 
enjoy the shedding of some scorn upon “ those wretched 
florists,” for insisting upon such and such properties in 
their flowers, and disqualifying such and such others. 
The more, however, that we suffered ourselves to be 
distracted by this outer multitude of counsellors, the 
nearer we should come to the fabled straits of the 
old man, his son, and their Ass. Ride him as they 
would, they could not please everybody in a group of 
on-lookers, and at last they did but ruin the Ass, in an 
attempt to carry him between them. If florists do 
not ride their hobbies so as to satisfy their present 
environment, it is perfectly open to that influential 
body to have their own Asses, and to ride them tail- 
foremost if they will. 
Something, imperfectly expressed here, has led me to 
think of what I would rather call a dilution than 
expansion in very recent times. I hope there is no 
danger of our old florists’ flowers being over-watered, 
in the sense of being “ watered down.” If the line of 
admittance to florist rank and fellowship be only drawn 
at beauty, there will simply be no line to draw at all, in 
that there is no flower without some beauty. But the 
fact is stubborn, that what is lightly gained is lightly 
esteemed ; and hence the more difficult, the more shy 
types of beauty have, for the florist, a force and charm 
that easier forms have not. 
That is why I should not, if I could, spare the room 
and time in strictly florist work to consider the new 
tastes, fashions and ideas of our present environment, 
which has other, and unfailing, admirable sources of 
supply ; and I hope, that among ourselves, un florist 
forms of florists’ flowers may never come into harmful 
relations with the truer types. 
Perhaps it might be said, “ What of the self Carna¬ 
tion ? ” There are seifs in the florist Auricula, and there 
are self forms (breeders) in the florist Tulip, and these 
are recognised consorts of the other classes. Might not 
the self Carnation be promoted to like rank in the 
peerage of its own flower 1 ” Well, there is much to be 
said for the self Carnation. It is a distinct form and a 
lovely flower, with vast powers of colour, and sterling 
qualities in form, substance, and smoothness ; and it 
surely comes much nearer to the rank of a florists’ flower 
than the so-called “fancies,” that are neither one 
thing nor another among the florist types, but un¬ 
mitigated muddles or mistakes, or, “not to put 
too fine a point upon it,” the litter of the florist’s 
workshop ! 
Whether it is comfortable, healthful, and appetising 
to have these skeletons at our florist feasts, to remind 
us how we have failed aforetime, and foretell how we 
are doomed to fail again, I am not sure. They are not 
much to be proud of, and we see plenty of them in the 
laboratory of the garden, among every fresh set of 
blooming seedlings; while it is a little trying to find 
the uninitiated eye and fancy more captivated by them 
than by that which is most expressly and expressively 
being demonstrated as the object of the show, or to hear 
casual remarks from some visitor, that if he took up the 
flower at all, he would elect to grow these “ fancies ” I 
Still, with regard to the self Carnation, and for all 
that may be said to commend it, in some sense it is a 
comparatively weaker flower than the self in the 
Auricula and Tulip. 
It is often but a disappointing sport, as a form of 
“run flower,” from a higher class, to which it not 
unusually reverts ; although, if so raised from seed, it is, 
so far as I know, a final form. From these two abun¬ 
dant sources of sports and seeds, the self Carnation is 
obtainable in overwhelming quantity, while from the 
former origin it is bound to be correct. 
But in the Auricula, the self is a fixed form, and is 
as difficult to be won with first-rate properties as any of 
her edged flowers are ; while in the Tulip, the self or 
breeder is the flower in a transient, progressive, child¬ 
like stage of its existence ; full of the nature, promise 
and hope of a more highly endowed beauty ; destined 
to advance to “feathered” or “flamed” estate, but 
with a heavy liability, even then, to miss the goal 
amid the mischances of “ a bad break.” 
So, in these attributes, the self Auricula and the self 
Tulip would seem to pass the self Carnation by; 
though I do not undertake to say that such have been 
the reasons why a different status attaches to the self 
in one instance of these three. 
The progress of the yellow-ground Carnation and 
Picotee is very interesting to watch ; but the best is 
yet far from the point to which the yellow 
Picotee was brought many a year ago and long since 
lost. I well remember the raiser (Smith, of the yellow 
Picotee) sending my father, Dr. Horner, petals of his 
best seedlings, and they were beautiful in various edges 
and shades of ground colour. 
I believe I am right in saying that Mr. Smith started 
with white-ground Picotees as parents on one side, for 
the sake of decided edges and form of petal. He lost 
much ground at first in colour, the white terribly over¬ 
coming the yellow ; but he succeeded in working the 
ground colour back to deep and light yellow. 
If I could spare time from that which collections of 
Auriculas, Tulips and Orchids require, I should enjoy 
joining in the attempts at the yellow Picotee, and I 
would use the white-ground flowers at first, with their 
superiority of petal form, and their highly-finished and 
diverse edges. 
Iwouldhave hope thatthe samestep with white ground 
Carnations would be a help out of the muddle and 
muddiness in the yellow flakes, and towards the yet 
unattained yellow bizarres. 
With good form, and an impress imparted from the 
white grounds as to what stripes and edges ought to 
be, it is possible that we might find a weakened yellow 
ground a lesser evil to contend against, than the host 
of evils combined in confused and strappy petals—bars 
in yellow Picotees, and much want of character, 
and thoroughnass and variety in markings of yellow 
Carnations. —F. D. Horner, Burton-in-Lonsdale. 
The Yellow-ground Carnations. 
This discussion has aroused an absorbing interest in 
the mind of all true florists, and must be productive of 
advantage both to growers and exhibitors. I cannot 
but regret, however, that it has taken so personal a 
tone. At the risk of being accused of holding with 
the hare and running with the hounds, I am inclined 
to agree with both parties — I will not call them 
opponents, for I cannot regard them in that light. I 
agree with Mr. Dean that the yellow grounds will, nay, 
must have a special and separate classification in forth¬ 
coming schedules, but I also agree with Mr. Dodwell, 
that the time is not yet. All I can say to the 
progressists who are in a hurry, is. Try it this very year, 
and see what a muddle you will make of it. Is there, 
for instance, a really good florists’ flower to be found 
among the yellow seifs even? It will be said, Germania 
is such. Admitting all its good qualities, I take leave 
to doubt it. Put it side by side with Gladys and 
Emma Lakin, and where is it in form and size, or even 
in purity of colour ? So with the striped, flaked, and 
picoteed sections. 
There was a magnificent display of yellow grounds at 
Oxford, the Kilmurrys on the one hand, and Mr. 
Turner’s batch on the other. But take them all round, 
was there anything to vie with Curzon, Rifleman, 
Master Fred, R. Houlgrave, Sarah Payne, Clara 
Penson, Royal Visit, or a host of less well-known 
varieties ? True, there were the foundations for the 
future, the bases of proximate creations, but the 
material for immediate classification was conspicuous 
by its absence. I have unfortunately mislaid my 
Oxford notes, and can only write as memory suggests, 
but I do riot recall to mind a single yellow ground 
worthy of being ranked with the bizarres and flakes of 
the white-ground section. Perhaps others may not be 
so fastidious, but, for Flora’s sake, do not let us hark 
back to the infancy of the Carnation for the canons of 
future schedules. 
Among the Kilmurrys, I remember Queen of Hearts, 
Patricia, and Exile as giving promise of future develop¬ 
ment in the way of striped and flaked petals ; and in 
Mr. Turner’s collection, Dorothy and Almira, beautiful 
enough as they are, gave similar promise, though in a 
less marked degree for the future. No one would deny 
the right of Agnes Chambers to rank as a Picotee, but 
try it by the standard of Mrs. Gorton, Nellie or 
Favourite, and how would it rank as a florists’ flower ? 
It has the markings of a good thing in that particular 
section, just as Colonial Beauty or Terra Cotta have, 
but I humbly submit neither one nor the other would 
justify a class or classes being framed at present for 
their special benefit. I speak, as I said, from memory, 
and no doubt I may have passed by better things. 
With the exception of the Kilmurrys, all the flowers 
named I bloomed myself last season, and I reckon them 
the cream of Mr. Turner’s batch, omitting the seifs. 
Selfs? Yes! What is a yellow self ? Where is the 
type, and where the standard that Mr. Dean will set 
up ? If I were to attempt to fix what ought to be the 
limit of shades allowable in a class of yellow seifs, I 
should say you must admit at least five—orange, gold, 
yellow, primrose, and lemon; but how the precise 
shade of my central division can be defined I am at a 
loss to conceive. It merely shows that to my eye there 
is a shade between gold and primrose that answers to 
the general term yellow as a primary colour. I do not 
think, if we go to the artists, we shall get much help, 
for their gradations of yellow are endless. I heartily 
agree, however, with “ R. D.,” that the slates, the 
browns, and the mouse-grays must go with the fancies : 
but I think we might easily even now put up a stand of 
twelve yellow seifs, with not more than two of one 
variety. Although, however, I have emphasised the 
difficulties which I see to be in the way now, I have 
long felt that the time is coming when some kind of 
classification must be made, and Mr. Dean need not 
fear being left in a minority of one, for, as he said in 
the same letter, he did but speak the thoughts of 
others. Supposing, however, that we start at once, 
and frame a separate class for yellow seifs, it does not 
follow that we need exclude yellows from the general 
class of seifs—a calamity which I, in common with 
“ W. L. W„ should deeply r regret.— Ranger Johnson, 
Kennington. 
I can assure “ W. L. W.” that I have no desire what¬ 
ever to exclude the yellow self Carnations from a stand 
of self flowers ; by all means let them be shown. 
What I am desirous of seeing is that in the classes for 
yellow-ground flowers there might be one for seifs and 
another for edged and flaked flowers, the purity of the 
yellow ground being kept in view by exhibitors and 
