204 FLORA HISTORICA. 



the river IMedway, between Rocliester and Maid- 

 stone, where it is found in great plenty, in the 

 fields, sown with wheat. Among spring corn there 

 is rarely a plant of it to be found ; which shows 

 the propriety of sowing the seeds in gardens in 

 autumn ; for those fields of spring corn, if suffered 

 to remain undisturbed after the harvest, will 

 abound with this plant the following year. Great 

 quantities of the flowers are annually brought to 

 London, and sold by the name of Red Morocco." — 

 (Martyn.) Gerard tells us that in his day the 

 country people called it " Red Camomill, and the 

 London women do call it Rosearubie.'" It is now 

 generally termed Pheasant's-eye, from the resem- 

 blance the flower bears to the beautiful eye of that 

 bird. 



The seed of this hardy annual plant should be 

 sown in the autumn, for when sown in the spring 

 the plants seldom appear until the second year, 

 but the plants that spring from the self-scattered 

 seeds are generally the finest, which should teach 

 us not to bury the seed too deep in the eartli» 

 They should also be sown in patches of some size, 

 and when the plants are a few inches high they 

 may be thinned out, leaving several in each patch, 

 but they will not succeed when transplanted, urdess- 

 taken up with the earth when very small. 



