162 GARDEN FLOWERS. 



observed these magnificent flowers on lull 

 and valley, by wood and river side, Peru 

 must have seemed to them a land of glowing 

 gold. 



The seeds of the sunflower are recommended 

 as an excellent food for cattle, and the settler 

 in the woods of Canada gathers and stores them 

 for a winter supply for his poultry. In the 

 United States the flower is cultivated to a great 

 extent for the oil procured from its seeds, which 

 is as good as Florence oil. The whole plant, 

 and especially the golden blossom, exudes a 

 thin, clear, resinous substance, the strong odour 

 of which resembles that of Venice turpentine. 

 The sunflower is not found wild in any part of 

 southern Europe, but in Asia and Africa a few 

 species are to be met with. Several double 

 varieties are cultivated in the garden. 



The numerous clusters of the garden hydran- 

 gea (^Hydrangea Jiortensia) bloom in the autumnal 

 season. This flower is often called the Chinese 

 guelder rose, as it is much cultivated in the 

 gardens of China, as well as in those of Japan, 

 but its native place of growth is unknown. 

 The flowers are usually of a pale rose colour, 

 but are sometimes blue. Great pains have been 

 taken by cultivators to discover under what 

 conditions of the soil the blue colour may be 

 insured. .The yellow loam of Hampstead heath 

 will produce it, as does also the peat of the bogs 

 near Edinburgh, and the soil in the neighbour- 

 hoods cf Berlin and of St. Petersburgh. Water 

 impregnated with alum, steel filings, carbonate 



