38 FLORA HISTORICA. 



parentage of each peculiar apple, which, like the 

 Pink, owes its excellence and variety to the la- 

 bours of tlie cultivator. And the Pink, like the 

 apple, continues to demand the attention of man 

 to preserve it from degenerating into its original 

 insignificance ; for although the hand of the gar- 

 dener can double and triple the petals of the 

 Pink, he cannot render their beauties permanent, 

 for nature seems to have allowed her works to 

 bear a temporary improvement only, in order to 

 create industrious habits in man, her most noble 

 and finished work. 



The primitive Pink is simple, red, or white, 

 and scented ; by floriculture its petals have been 

 enlarged and multiplied, and its colours infinitely 

 varied, until it has obtained all the colours from 

 the' darkest purple to the purest white, with all 

 the hues of red from the rich crimson to the pale 

 rose, and with which the yellow is frequently 

 blended. In some of these flowers we see the 

 eye of the pheasant painted, others are beauti- 

 fully marbled, striped, or figured. In some va- 

 rieties we see two opposite colours abruptly 

 diversified, wdiilst in others they seem not only 

 to meet in happy contrast, but to mingle and 

 soften off in shades. Thomson speaks of it as 

 the *' gay spotted Pink ;" but under all its diver- 

 sities it preserves its delicious spicy fragrance. 



