' THE 
FLORIST’S JOURNAL 
June 1, 1840. 
COLOURS OF FLOWERS AND THEIR CONTRASTS. 
The beauty of flowers, like that of all other material objects, is 
composed of the beauty of form and the beauty of colour taken 
jointly ; and the object of the floriculturist is to heighten both 
of these in the individual flower, to the greatest extent that his 
art will admit. In as far as form is concerned, the application 
of his art is comparatively limited; because every flower has a 
definite form by nature, from which no art can break it. It is true 
that a single flower may be bred into a double one; but this is 
accomplished only by the change of the anthers, or parts of fruc¬ 
tification, into petals ; and no more petals can be obtained in the 
double flower, than there are petals and anthers in the single one. 
The principle upon which this change is brought about is a curious 
as well as a useful one ; and, therefore, we shall take an early 
opportunity of offering a few remarks on it. Still, however, 
though the cultivator has this power over very many flowers, he 
cannot materially alter the normal shape of the individual petal; 
and consequently, the only variety of form, besides an increase of 
the number of petals, is an alteration of the size of them, to larger 
or smaller, according as the object may be. This change of size 
may also be extended to the whole plant; and the Chinese have 
the art of procuring dwarf trees and shrubs perfectly symmetrical, 
of any height they desire, and yet perfect plants, not fragments 
kept under by the operation of the knife. This is a branch of 
cultivation not so well understood in Europe; and the vast number 
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