132 
THE FLORIST’S JOURNAL, 
ON THE CINERARIA. 
WITH AN ILLUSTRATION. 
We were surprised and somewhat amused a short time since by 
the expression of a sentiment on the part of an eminent botanist 
of the present day, who, when describing a newly imported 
species of Calceolaria, expressed a hope that it might not be 
subject to the innovations of the florist, whose manipulations 
produced a new race of forms, so much to the deterioration of 
the original parent, that for it to live neglected or unnoticed he 
considered quite an escape. Our surprise was awakened by the 
fact, that one so pre-eminently distinguished by a love of the 
science and of floral beauty, could be blinded to the improve¬ 
ments effected in the manner thus contemned, merely by an 
adherence to a set of artificial rules, so imperfect in themselves 
as to be continually in need of alterations and new adaptations; 
and our amusement was elicited from the seriousness which 
pervaded the paragraph in question. Now though these new 
forms of the florists’ obtaining do somewhat interfere with the 
arrangements of botanists, what disparagement can be offered 
them ? It must be conceded the new forms are superior to the 
old ones in some important point or other ; was it not so, the 
florist would discontinue his care of them, and there would be 
an end of the innovations complained of: an increase of the floral 
parts, with an intermixture of the colours already possessed by 
the subjects operated on, or the introduction among them of 
new shades, so as to extend their interest and thus render them 
more enjoyable, is the florist’s aim ; and to the happy result of 
such labours we really think much of the love of plants now so 
universally exhibited may be fairly and easily traced. 
For a proof of what has already been done by the florist we 
need only instance the subject of our present paper. The Cine¬ 
raria has not, however, repaid the attention bestowed upon it 
with the same striking improvement that marks some othei* 
vegetable forms so unfortunate as to be included in the florist’s 
list of favourites, probably because sufficient time has not elapsed 
to develope all its capabilities; for these advances are made only 
by slow and, in some instances, almost imperceptible gradations, 
