CHINA ASTEH. »77 



and change of soil, soon became both so doubled 

 in petals, and various in colours, that it now forms 

 one of the principal 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 flowers ; in the 1736 he procured seeds of 

 the blue variety, but these were all single flow- 

 ers. In 1752, he 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 impregTiated by the farina 

 of others ; and thus we are presented with 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, and on which account the 

 China Aster is made the emblem of variety. 



The Chinese display a taste in their arrange- 

 ment of these star-formed flowers, that leaves the 

 British florist far in the back-ground. Even our 

 most curious amateurs have yet to learn what 

 effect these plants will produce by their gay co- 

 rollas when carefully distributed by the hand of 

 taste. 



