OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN FLOWERS. 199 



burre is of two sorts, the one greater and the other lesser, differ- 

 ing also in the flowers, as you shall heare ; but because they are 

 so like one another, one description shall serve for them both. 

 Each of them riseth up very early in the yeare, that is, in 

 February, with a thicke stalke about a foote high, whereon are 

 set a few small leaves, or rather peeces, and at the toppes a long 

 spiked head of flowers, in the one which is the lesse and the more 

 rare to finde, wholly white and of a better sent than the other 

 (yet some say it hath no sent), in the greater, which is more 

 common with us, of a blush or deepe red colour, according to the 

 soile wherein it groweth, the clay ground bringing a paler colour 

 somewhat weake, and before the stalke with the flowers have 

 abidden a moneth above ground will be withered and gon, blowen 

 away with the winde, and the leaves will beginne to spring, which 

 when they are full growne are very large and broad, that they 

 may very well serve to cover the whole body, or at the least the 

 head like an umbello from the sunne and raine." 



The flowers are produced on bare, fleshy scapes, springing from 

 amongst the old foliage ; the new leaves not appearing until 

 much later. The bloom is small, of a pinky white colour ; they 

 are miniature forms, resembling the coltsfoot flowers, being 

 arranged, however, in clusters. The leaves are large, cordate, 

 downy, and soft to the touch, having long stout stems ; they vary 

 much in size, from 3in. to more than a foot across, according to 

 the nature of the soil. 



The usefulness of this plant consists entirely in its flowers 

 as cut bloom, the least bit of which fills a large room with its 

 most agreeable perfume. The plant, therefore, need not be grown 

 in the more ornamental parts of the garden, and it should have a 

 space exclusively allotted to it. It runs widely underground, 

 and soon fills a large space. It enjoys moisture, but I have 

 proved it to be more productive of bloom with leaves of half 

 their usual size when planted in a rather dry situation with 

 light but good soil. Usually a root does not produce flowers 

 until two years after it has been planted. Poor as the flowers 

 otherwise are, they are of great value in winter, when finely- 

 scented kinds are scarce. They may be mixed with more 

 beautiful forms and colours so as not to be seen, when, like 

 violets in the hedgerow, they will exhale their grateful odour 

 from a position of modest concealment. 



Flowering period, November to February. 



Phlox. 



HYBRID TALL VARIETIES ; SUB-SECTIONS, STJFFRTTTICOSA and 

 DECTJSSATA (EARLY and LATE FLOWERING); Nat. Ord. 



POLEMONIACE^E. 



THESE noble flowers are not only beautiful as individuals, but the 

 cheerful appearance of our gardens during the autumn is much 



