318 FLORA HISTORICA. 



various in colours, that it now forms one of the prin- 

 cipal ornaments of the flower-garden from July to 

 November. 



Mr. Miller tells us that he first received the seeds 

 from Paris in the year 1731, from which he raised 

 some plants with red and others with white flovrers : 

 in the year 1736 he procured seeds of the blue va- 

 riety, but these were all single flowers. In 1752, 

 lie received seeds of the double flowers, both red 

 and blue ; and in the following year Dr. Job Baster, 

 of Zirkee, sent him seeds of the double white sort : 

 since which time the varieties have been infinitely 

 increased by means of some kinds being impreg- 

 nated by the farina of others ; and thus we are pre- 

 sented svith party-coloured flowers in red and white, 

 blue and white, purple and white, pink and purple, 

 two reds, two blues, and all the changes that 

 these colours are capable of producing, — on which 

 account the China Aster is made the emblem of 

 variety. 



The Cliinese display a taste in their arrangement 

 cf these star-formed flowers, that leaves the British 

 florist far in the background. Even our most curi- 

 ous amateurs have yet to learn what effect these 

 plants will produce by their gay corollas when care- 

 fully distributed by the hand of taste. 



Let the imagination picture a bank sloping to a 

 piece of water, covered with these gay flowers, so 



