THE SWEET WILLIAM 65 



pretty as it is as a name, and appropriate as it is applied 

 to a flower in itself so sweet, is by no means the only 

 appellative belonging to the plant, which was called also 

 Tuft Gilliflower, London Tufts, and the altogether 

 incomprehensible designation, Tolmeniers, each of these 

 representing a self-coloured variety of the Sweet William. 

 One, with spotted flowers, was called London Pride, a 

 name transferred, according to John Ray, the botanist, to 

 Saxifraga umbrosa. 



The earliest form of double Sweet Williams was 

 double in the sense of possessing two rows of petals to 

 each flower, and of these, if we are to credit Samuel 

 Gilbert, the florist, the double Sweet Johns were alone 

 worthy esteem. The first variety possessed of a distinct 

 eye is noted by Parkinson in 1629, an< * this was dubbed by 

 Rea, on account of its rich colouring, " The Velvet Sweet 

 William." A peculiar feature of these early forms was 

 the tall habit possessed by the plants. How delightful if 

 we had a few such to-day ! 



Closely following the advent of the eighteenth century, 

 a remarkable impetus to gardening is observable in all its 

 branches, and, about the year 1715, appeared the first 

 recorded hybrid with a Sweet William as one of the 

 parents, to which the name Fairchild's Sweet William 

 was given, but better known as a Mule Pink. Flowers 

 wholly double were also originated about this period, and 

 were extensively cultivated in gardens, as well as in pots 

 to adorn " chimneys," or fireplaces, and apartments 

 generally. There were also varieties with striped flowers, 

 and the inevitable " Painted Lady," which was a double 

 form, having a dark centre and a white edge to the petals. 

 In MacDonald's "Gardener's Dictionary" (1807) tne 

 above and many other kinds are said to be varieties of the 

 " Sweet John," and in the same work a plate of a beautiful 

 auricula-eyed Sweet William, by Sydenham Edwards, is 

 evidence of the advanced condition of the Sweet William 



