VI.] THE AMERICAN CARDENEU. 209 



planted out, to become blowers. There is a great 

 variety of colours and of sizes of this flower. 



335. ARBUTUS. A pretty ever-green, as well 

 known as the oak tree ; arid is to be got every where. 



336. ASTRE (China.) Astre is French "for star, 

 and this flower, in its shape, resembles a star to our 

 view. It is annual, bears great quantities of seed, 

 and is sown early in spring. An infinite variety of 

 colours, and great quantities of blossoms. It gives 

 no smell ; but a clump of it furnishes a great mass 

 of beauty to the sight. 



337. AURICULA. This is one of the flowers, 

 the sorts of which are distinguished by having 

 awarded to them the names of famous men and wo- 

 men, famous cities, and famous battles, and so forth. 

 It may be raised from seed ; but the flowers pro- 

 ceeding from plants so raised, do not resemble the 

 flowers of the mother plant, except by mere acci- 

 dent. It is a chance if you get a. fine flower from a 

 whole sown bed. Now-and-then one of this des- 

 cription comes, however, and this adds to the list 

 of names, if it happen to be one of the like of which 

 has not made its appearance before. Auriculas are, 

 therefore, propagated by parting the roots, and every 

 root sends out several young plants annually. When 

 sown, they do not blow till the second year ; but the 

 old root lasts for many years. Some of these should 

 be potted, and kept to blow in the green-house. If 

 planted in the natural ground, they ought to be 

 covered a little in the winter. There are many 

 hundreds of sorts with names. So many indeed, 

 that the godfathers in England have been so put 

 to it for great personages to baptize the flowers 

 after, that they have been compelled to resort to 

 the heroes and heroines of Romance ; accordingly 

 they have Don Quickset and Sancho. However 



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