WALL-FLOWER. 81 



striped with yellow. Thomson, whose pen was 

 not able to describe so sweet a flower by so terrible 

 a name as that of bloody wall, distinguishes it as 



The yellow Wall-flower, stain'd with iron-hrown, 

 And lavish Stock, that scents the garden round. 



We have frequently sown the seeds of the rich 

 Iron-brown Coloured Wall-flower on old walls, 

 and they have uniformly degenerated into a plain 

 yellow; we, therefore, consider this to have been 

 the natural colour, and the dark tint to have been 

 first caused by the impregnation of its relative the 

 scarlet Stock, as by blending these two colours a 

 rich iron-brown will be produced. 



The Wall-flower has also been cultivated in a 

 double state for more than two centuries and a 

 quarter, as Gerard, in his description of this plant, 

 says, iC whereupon do growe most pleasant sweete 

 yellow flowers, very double ; which plant is so well 

 knowen to all, that it shall be needlesse to spend 

 much time about the description." 



Parkinson is the earliest writer that notices the 

 Wall-flower with striped or variegated petals. Ge- 

 rard notices only the plain yellow variety. 



A most beautiful variety of this plant has lately 

 been introduced from Moscow, by Mr. Lambert, 

 of Boyton House, Wiltshire, which has been 

 named the Chameleon Wall-flower, as its petals at 

 first appearance are of a bright yellow, but gra- 



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