86 HYACINTH. DOUBLE FLOWERS. 



plants in the first order of the sixth class. They 

 are all natives of England, except the pine-apple, 

 which is said to have come originally from South 

 America; the English name for the fruit was given 

 from the resemblance of its shape to the cone or 

 seed-vessel of some of the pine-trees. 



The garden Hyacinth, Hyacin'thus orienta'lis, 

 is a native of the Levant. The flower was formerly 

 admired, in its simple or single state, on account of 

 the regularity and equality of the petals ; and double 

 hyacinths were then no more valued, than double 

 tulips are now. 



EDWARD. 



What are double flowers ? 



MOTHER. 



All flowers, which have a greater number of pe- 

 tals than usual, are commonly called Double ; 

 but, strictly speaking, they should be called double, 

 treble, quadruple, and so on, according to the 

 number of rows of the petals. Great richness of 

 soil, and high cultivation, have such an effect upon 

 plants, that they grow very luxuriantly ; and the 

 stamens, in some kinds, are converted into petals. 

 When all the stamens are changed in this way, the 

 flower is said to be " Full," and can no longer pro- 

 duce seeds; and in order to bring back the plant to 

 its natural state, we ought to put it into a poorer 

 soil; or, in other words, to give it less food, or 



