522 
.  December  4,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
of  the  species,  despite  the  enormous  waste  involved  by 
such  a  mode  of  distribution,  fashions  a  far  greater  quan¬ 
tity.  At  the  right  period  the  stroller  through  Pine  forests 
may  now  and  again  see  or  be  enveloped  in  what  appear 
to  be  clouds  of  mist  or  smoke  when  a  passing  breeze  shakes 
the  foliage  and  liberates  the  pollen  of  the  flowers  asso¬ 
ciated  with  it.  Countless  millions — numbers,  indeed,  are 
mocked  at  in  such  connections- -must  miss  their  goal  for 
every  one  which  attains  it,  and  yet  in  every  one  the  race 
potencies  are  complete,  despite  the  minuteness  of  the 
chance  afforded  them  for  development.  The  human  work¬ 
man  who  was  employed  to  make,  say,  a  million  delicate 
machines,  knowing  that  only  one  would  ever  be  used, 
would,  we  fear,  be  temoted  to  scamp  a  good  many,  but 
Nature  “  scamps  ”  nothing,  and  perfection  is  her  maxim 
throughout.— Chas.  T.  Druery,  F.L.S.,  Y.M.H. 
Flowers  of  the  Bridal. 
In  almost  every  country  that  has  had  a  more  or  less 
civilised  population  so  far  as  history  carries  us  back, 
flowers  have  been  associated  with  the  bridal  ceremony  and 
bridal  attire.  Flowers  of  many  kinds,  and  of  varied  colour, 
but,  what  seems  natural,  white  flowers  took  the  first  place 
amongst  many  nations,  because  emblematic  of  maiden 
purity  and  innocence.  Possibly  the  reason  why  the  spring 
or  early  summer  was  a  favourite  time  for  marriage  with 
our  ancestors  in  the  past,  that  just  at  that  period  wild 
flowers  were  plentiful,  garden  ones  being  then  little  culti¬ 
vated.  There  seems  no  ground  for  a  modern  idea  that  May 
is  an  unlucky  month  to  choose  for  the  event.  Nor  is  there 
anything  more  than  fancy  that  a  shower  of  rain  is  unlucky 
at  a  wedding,  else  there  might  be  a  reason  against  selecting 
April. 
During  recent  times  two  flowers  are  prominent  as 
bridal  flowers — the  Orange  blossom  and  the  Lily  of  the 
Valley.  They  are  in  contrast  to  each  other,  one  is  the 
conspicuous  flower  of  a  tree  ;  its  companion,  partly  hidden 
by  leaves,  comes  from  a  plant  of  lowly  growth.  We  put 
the  Orange  flower  first,  as  especially  associated  with  the 
bridal  veil.  Few,  perhaps,  are  those  in  wedding  parties 
who  have  any  idea  of  its  significance,  but  that  we  might 
expect.  Some  think  it  may  be  linked  to  the  famous  golden 
Apple  of  the  gardens  of  the  Hesperides,  and  there  are 
some  who  maintain  the  Orange  is  only  a  substitute  for 
the  Citron,  its  ally  the  tree  to  which  old  legends  belong 
referring  to  marriage. 
We  cannot  be  sure,  but  the  Orange  blossom  is  said  to 
have  been  worn  by  Saracen  brides,  as  it  was  supposed  to 
bring  happiness  and  a  large  family,  the  latter  possibly  not 
desirable  to  most  people  now.  Then,  after  the  Crusades, 
European  brides  took  to  wearing  it  sometimes,  though  its 
general  adoption  is  quite  a  modern  practice.  Of  course  it 
follows  that  the  fruit  is  lucky  too  in  some  way,  and  Oranges 
should  form  an  item  amongst  the  refreshment  after  the 
ceremony.  We  may  oberve,  even  if  it  is  a  little  irrelevant, 
that  William,  Prince  of  Orange,  and  the  Orangemen  take 
name  not  from  the  fruit  but  from  the  Orange  Lily,  chosen 
as  symbol.  The  colour  has  been  so  objectionable  to  some 
party  men  that  they  have  even  boycotted  Carrots !  To  the 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  as  a  bridal  flower,  we  cannot  give  a 
date,  nor  point  to  the  country  where  it  was  originally  used 
- — perhaps  in  France  or  Italy.  It  was  not  only  a  sign  of 
purity,  for  the  plant,  growing  amidst  thorns,  was  an  emblem 
of  the  Virgin  Mary  ;  but  popular  belief  gave  it  also  the 
power  of  bestowing  happiness  upon  the  wearer.  Other 
Lilies,  in  far  remote  centuries,  had  the  repute  of  being 
sacred,  or  bringers  of  good  fortune ;  the  ancient  Jews, 
indeed,  are  supposed  to  have  worn  at  weddings  a  white 
Lily — Lilium  candidum. 
Amongst  the  Greeks  it  was  common  for  the  priests  to 
place  upon  the  bride’s  head  a  wreath  of  Lilies  twined  with 
corn — a  symbol  of  happiness  or  prosperity.  FaVther  yet 
we  glance  into  the  past,  and  in  the  magnificence  of  Egypt 
—the  oldest  nation — we  find  the  Lotus  figuring  at  cere¬ 
monials  of  a  joyful  nature,  which  was  evidently  one  of  the 
Lily  tribe.  Wreaths  of  a  blue  Hyacinth  (species  doubtful) 
have  been  worn  in  some  countries  both  by  the  bride  and 
her  attendant  maids,  emblematic,  it  is  thought,  of  fidelity. 
But,  singular  to  say,  the  same  flower  was  associated  with 
the  dead,  because,  according,  to  the  myth,  it  sprung  from 
the  blood  of  Hyacinthus.  Hence  the  poet’s  words : — 
And  so  we  ring  a  change  upon  these  bells, 
For  now  of  death,  and  now  of  love  it  tells. 
That  much  renowned  plant  the  Rosemary,  of  small 
esteem  now,  comparatively,  had,  like  the  Hyacinth,  an 
important  position  both  at  funerals  and  weddings.  Its  use, 
however,  has  been  discontinued  nearly  two  centuries. 
Formerly  the  Rosemary  not  only  bedecked  the  bride,  but 
sprigs  of  the  plant  were  frequently  given  as  a  token  of 
affection  by  lovers  to  each  other.  Occasionally  the  old 
error  crops  up  in  print  that  the  plant  was  named  after  the 
Virgin  Mary.  Likely  enough,  as  a  species  rich  in  virtues,  it 
may  have  been  one  of  the  numerous  plants  presumed  to  be 
under  her  guardianship,  but  it  certainly  took  its  name  from 
the  marine  cliffs,  where  it  was  fottfid  growing  freely  wild. 
At  weddings  it  was  usual  to  add  to  the  Rosemary’s  fragrance 
by  dipping  sprigs  if  it  in  perfumed  water.  One  of  the 
Shakespearian  characters  refers  to  the  plant  as  a  token  of 
“  remembrance,”  which  would  make  it  significant  at  a  time 
when  new  ties  were  being  formed,  old  ones  might  be  for¬ 
gotten.  Roger  Hacket,  in  a  curious  wedding  sermon  of 
1607,  introduces  the  Rosemary,  and  remarks  to  the  couple : 
“  Let  this  flower,  ensign  of  your  wisdom,  love,  and  loyalty, 
be  carried,  not  only  in  your  hands,  but  in  your  heads  and 
hearts.” 
Myrtle,  so  highly  esteemed  amongst  the  ancients,  that 
a  crown  of  it  seemed  a  fitting  reward  for  victors  in  certain 
games,  is  still  regarded  as  a  lucky  plant.  This  belief  pre¬ 
vails  in  some  parts  of  England  and  in  other  countries. 
Thus,  a  Somersetshire  maiden  may  be  observed  carefully 
attending  to  a  Myrtle  on  her  window-sill,  since  she  thinks 
that  if  the  plant  languishes,  it  will  be  a  bad  omen  for  her¬ 
self.  Further,  the  Myrtle  is  credited  with  the  power  of 
producing  and  preserving  love,  hence  its  appropriateness  at 
a  wedding.  Besides,  it  is  a  symbol  of  fertility,  though 
singular  to  say,  it  has  associations  with  sorrow  and  war. 
Three  leaves  taken  from  a  bridal  wreath  of  Myrtle  and 
eaten  were  supposed  to  cure  fever  in  Russia.  Again,  the 
Laurel,  or  Bay  (Laurus  nobilis),  was  welcomed  at  a  wedding. 
The  Romans  called  it  the  “Plant  of  the  Good  Angel;”  its 
presence  warded  off  the  visits  of  evil  spirits,  so  they 
thought.  An  emblem,  too,  of  unchangeableness,  it  might 
well  have  its  significance  to  bridegroom  and  bride.  It  is 
noticeable  that  the  Rose, ‘though  a  flower  much  admired, 
and  sacred  to  Venus  and  the  Graces,  does  not  appear  pro¬ 
minently  amongst  wedding  decorations  of  the  past,  but 
chaplets  of  Roses  were  probably  sometimes  worn,  when 
they  could  be  made.  Both  in  the  East  and  West.  Jessa¬ 
mine,  when  in  bloom,  has  had  its  elegant  stems  twisted 
into  the  bridal  wreath. 
The  Hawthorn,  Whitethorn,  or  Maybush  is  a  wedding 
shrub.  By  the  ancient  Greeks  it  was  placed  in  the  bride’s 
garland,  and  branches  of  it  were  arranged  upon  the  altar. 
Remnants  of  this  practice  may  be  seen  in  Greece  of  the 
present  day.  It  would  have  been  more  poetical,  but  less 
true  to  life,  if  the  shrub  had  no  thorns,  yet  it  might  show 
forth  the  fact  that  marriage  could  not  be  all  happiness  in 
the  future.  Germans  sometimes  sent  wreaths  of  Holly  as 
wedding  presents,  the  plant  being  a  sign  of  cheerfulness, 
though  the  prickles  would  seem  to  be  portentous,  like  those 
of  the  Hawthorn.  Rods  of  Hazel  have  been  carried  in 
wedding  processions,  and  at  the  close  of  the  day  these  were 
burnt,  and  the  nuts,  when  attainable,  formed  part  of  the 
feast.  Our  wild  flower,  Meadow-sweet,  or  Queen  of  the 
Meadow,  had  another  name — Bride’s  Feathers — not  because 
it  was  used  as  a  decoration,  but  from  its  resemblance  to 
the  plumes  brides  wore. — J.  R.  S.  C. 
■ - 1  OI»  I - 
New  Cannas  for  1903. 
The  undernamed  Cannas  are  being  sent  out  next  spring  by 
Maison  Croizy  et  Cie.,  d’HyereS.  They  are  fully  described  in 
“  L’Horticulteur  Nouvelle,”  November  13.  Orchid-flowered 
varieties:  Senateur  Viger  and  Frederick  Benary.  C'rozy’s  race: 
Leon- Varroud- Vial,  Madame  H.  Coufourier,  Madame  Paul 
Cazeneuve,  Antoine  Roozen,  Madame  Noel  Blanche,  Dr.  Albert 
Florence,  Mrs.  J.  Wood,  Bizarre,  Madame  Julie  Aubert  jeune, 
Madame  Andre  Charmet,  Souvenir  de  Madame  Ferdinand 
Cayeux,  Nathalie  Bourseul,  Lady  Trevor  Lawrence,  Madame 
Anne  Boucod,  Adrien  Lefebvro,  H.  Burnaert,  and  Madame  L. 
Clausse. 
