BALSAM, 177 



it as the Female Balsam Apple ; but he appears to 

 have been ignorant of its native country, though 

 he observes, " These plants do prosper best in hot 

 regions : they are strangers in England, and do 

 with great labour and industrie grovve in these 

 colde countries." To which he adds, ** they must 

 be sowen in the beginning of Aprill in a bed of hot 

 horse-dung, even as muske-melons, cucumbers, and 

 such like colde fruites are."** 



As late as 16*56, when the corrected edition of 

 Parkinson's ** Garden of Pleasant Flowers " was 

 published, it is stated that " we have alwayes had 

 the seed of this plant sent us out of Italie, noC 

 knowing his original place." He adds, '« the seed 

 doth seldome ripen with us, especially if the sum- 

 mer be backward, so that we are oftentimes to seek 

 for new and good seede from our friends again." 



It has been observed by some of our best florists 

 that the new seed of the Balsam seldom produces 

 double flowers, and it is recommended to sow seed 

 that has been kept from three to nine years. Fair- 

 weather recommends for these plants a rich loamy 

 soil, rather lighter than that used for growinf>- 

 melons; but the flnest plants we have seen in 

 England were grown in the rotten dung of an old 

 cucumber-bed, without any other mixture of earth. 

 The seeds should be sown very thin in pots filled 

 with either of these earths, at any time between the 



