86 



flowers be the chiefest flowers of account in all our English 

 Gardens" be treats more largely here of the •* true manner and 

 order to increase and preserve them." — Propagating thera by 

 layers he says is "of later invention" — To protect the Carna- 

 tions from Earwigs some persons placed them in cups with a 

 rim full of Water round — a totally inefficient remedy as these 

 vermin are gifted with wings.— The whole chapter contains as 

 judicious directions for the culture of this flower as any that 

 modern times have produced — the only point on which he does 

 not afl'ord instruction being the nature of the Soil best suited 

 to them. Modern ingenuity has improved the arrangement, 

 and conveniences of shelter for them — but Parkinson's mode of 

 culture is little altered to this day— His statement that Snow is 

 injurious to them is erroneous. — Chap. 9. "That there is not 

 any art whereby any flower may be made to grow double, that 

 was naturally single, nor of any other scent or colour than it 

 first had by nature ; nor that the sowing or planting of herbes 

 one deeper than other, will cause them to be in flower one after 

 another, every moneth in theyeare." Against these opinions he 

 argues acutely and philosophically much above his age, 

 though he does " thinke some constellations, and peradventure 

 changes of the moone, &c. were appointed by the God of 

 nature, as conducing and helping to the making of those flow- 

 ers double, that nature had so produced." 



Then commences his description of individual species— Crowa 

 Imperial & Frittilaries, thirteen varieties. Persian Lily— Marta- 

 gonl8 — Lilies 8 — Tulips various, early and late flowerhig, 137. 

 and refers to many others which he does not describe. He 

 talks of sowing a pock of Tulip seed, an evidence how largely 

 they were cultivated. — Of the cultivation of this flower he is 

 tolerably copious and correct, addressing his remarks here as 

 upon other occasions to "Gentlewomen for their delights," flo- 

 riculture thon,as now,finding its best patrons among the fair sex. 

 Narcissus, and Daflodils 06 — Bulbous rooted Violet 5^Hya- 



