400 FLORA HISTORICA. 



has attracted the notice of florists in general, Avho 

 now amply compensate for their former neglect by 

 present industry in procuring varieties, and skill 

 in growing them, which is such as promises to 

 rival even the Chinese themselves. We already 

 possess about thirty varieties of this ornamental 

 plant, and we may calculate that in a few years 

 from this time we shall obtain all the kinds known 

 in China and Japan. Like the roses of China, the 

 Chrysanthemums soon escaped from the confine- 

 ment of the conservatories of the curious, and as 

 rapidly spread themselves over every part of the 

 island, filhng the casements of the cottagers, and 

 the parterres of the opulent with their autumnal 

 beauties, that now vie with the Asters of their native 

 land in splendour and variety of colour. 



These beautiful vivacious plants have their 

 branches clothed with a foliage deeply cut, which 

 is covered with a vegetable wool or flock-like 

 substance. The general colour is of an ashy 

 green, similar to that of the foliage of the arti- 

 choke, although the shades differ considerably in 

 the varieties, some being much lighter than others : 

 on the whole, we should pronounce the most fre- 

 quent colour to be a pale dull green, although when 

 planted in the open garden the hue becomes of a 

 more cheerful tint, particularly in the spring, when 

 it assumes a yellower cast. The varieties differ in 



