THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
loosely-arranged mass of Calla Lilies. The approach to 
the gates was up half-circular steps, the interior of the 
structure representing a mausoleum with vault below. 
A fine piece of lettering in Violets at the base of the 
gates, “Only Asleep,” helped to give the whole a beau¬ 
tiful conception. The sides were flanked by columns 
surmounted by two white doves ; the foundation and 
base was freely treated with plants of various kinds, 
small Dracaenas, Ferns and Palms, and notably some 
Chinese Primroses; we were pleased also to notice that 
whatever colored flowers were used were in good 
taste and in good positions. Why colored flowers 
should not be used in funeral designs we never could 
see. We are almost sorry to say a word adverse to this 
piece, but what were two doves for? We question the 
propriety of ever using one. As we understand it the 
dove represents the Holy Spirit, and such being the 
case, to use two is certainly violating the tenets of 
religious teaching. 
Other very fine pieces were shown by W. C. Wilson, 
Hanft Brothers, Wm. Bennett, J. G. Beauchamps, 
Isaac Buchanan and others. There were several extra 
premiums awarded for the fine works in this class. 
Strange as it may seem, among the eight entries were 
crosses of various sizes, all different and all good; one 
with column and arms of Camellia leaves, with a light 
drapery of Roman Hyacinths and Maiden-hair Ferns; 
another of Ivy, with arms slanting and a chain of 
Roman Hyacinths, Violets and Callas; others with 
wreaths across the arms and centre composed of 
Eucharis, Roman Hyacinths, Camellias and Lilies-of-the- 
Valley afforded a most enjoyable inspection. The only 
weak place in this fine collection was the universally 
too small base of each cross. 
Other good funeral designs were a broken link, the 
stubble-field, and a beautiful lyre. 
The other interesting exhibits included plateaus of 
Ferns and ornamental foliage plants, plateaus of Or¬ 
chids, a beautiful group being shown by Mr. Clements. 
Several baskets of Roses were rare exhibits. The bou¬ 
quets for the hand, and those for the bridal and corsage, 
were remarkably fine. W. C. Wilson took the first 
premium for a bridal bouquet, a beautiful piece of work, 
composed of Cook Roses, Lilies-of-the-Valley, and the 
new and beautiful Asparagus Tenuisessimus, giving it 
a misty and elegant appearance. 
The crowning feature of the whole was the Roses; at no 
season, or at any time, have we seen such Mermets, Bon 
Silenes or La France,and to say that Niphetos, Perlesand 
Malmaisons were first rate means that in no other city 
could such Roses be found. The other good Roses were 
Souvenir d’un Ami,-Mad. Falcot, Duke of Connaught, 
Beauty of Stapleford. And of Hybrid Perpetuals good 
flowers were shown of Anna de Diesbach, Adolphe 
Thiers, Prince de Rohan and Gen. Jacqueminot. A 
certificate of merit was justly awarded to John N. 
May for his new Rose, Southern Bell, a deliciously- 
scented and handsome white Rose, lined distinctly 
around each petal with rosy carmine. The flower is of 
good size, and will, without doubt, soon become the 
leading Rose for the cut-flower trade. Mr. Evans, of 
Philadelphia, again showed the Wm. Francis Bennett 
even in better condition than before; this Rose will un¬ 
doubtedly prove a great success. 
In other miscellaneous exhibits a certificate of merit 
was awarded Hallock & Thorpe for a fine bunch of 
Swanley-white Violets, a really valuable acquisition. A 
certificate of merit was also awarded to Peter'Hender¬ 
son & Co. for their New Celery “White Plume,” 
Other exhibits worthy of notice were the collections of 
dried flowers and grasses, arranged in panels and screens, 
shown by J. W. Scallen, 1244 Broadway, N. Y. The 
flower easel, a novel invention by Kift & Son, of Phila¬ 
delphia, was very interesting, and attracted much at¬ 
tention. Vases of Chrysanthemums from Hallock & 
Thorpe, some fine Grapes from L. Compondon, and a 
fine group of Palms from John Finn, were also notice¬ 
able features of the exhibition. 
THE IRIS. 
The general impression is, that the flowers we are 
growing in our gardens and green-houses to-day, are, in 
a great measure, novelties, new discoveries, or hybrids 
of recent introduction; also that the forms known one 
hundred or more years ago were, in comparison to what 
we now have, simple and unattractive. We do not pre¬ 
tend that such impressions prevail with those who have 
made the plant a study, rather with those who base their 
conclusions on recent publications and catalogues. To 
give our readers an idea of what flowers were grown 
and valued nearly three hundred years ago, we repro¬ 
duce an engraving made in 1608, of the Iris Susiana 
major. Its description we take without change of or¬ 
thography from Parkinson’s Garden of Pleasant Flowers, 
published in 1629, written before botany was reduced to 
a science, and when plants were to a great extent valued 
for the medical properties they were supposed to pos¬ 
sess: 
“Iris latifolia tuberosa. —The Flagg or Flowerdeluce. 
There are two principall kindes of Tuberous or knobby- 
rooted Flowerdeluces, that is, the tall and the dwarfe, 
or the greater and the lesser; the former called Iris 
major, or latifolia, and the other Iris minor, or rather 
chamairis; and each of these have their lesser or narrow 
leafed kinds to bee comprehended under them: Of all 
which in their order. And the first of that Flowerde¬ 
luce, which for his excellant beautie and varietie, de- 
serveth the first place. 
Iris Chalcedonica fine Susiana major. The great 
Turkie Flowerdeluce. 
The great Turkie Flowerdeluce hath divers heads of 
long and broad fresh greene leaves, yet not so broad as 
many of those that follow, one folded within another 
at the bottome, as all other of these Flowerdeluces are; 
from the middle of some one of those heads (for every 
head of leaves beareth not a flower) riseth up a round 
stifle stalke, two foote high, at the top whereof standeth 
one flower (for I never observed it to beare two) the 
largest almost, but rarest of all the “rest, consisting of 
nine leaves, like the others that follow, but of the colour 
