106 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



has met with in his wanderings, such as Vicia cracca and 

 l/atkyrm sylvestris, which are apt to throw their arms 

 about as if the hedgerows belonged to them, and boundaries 

 and rights had never been heard of in the land. And it 

 is worthy of remark that these splendid wildings may be 

 easily introduced into the garden by simply gathering the 

 ripe seeds (of which the plants produce plenty), and sowing 

 them where they are to remain, taking care, however, to 

 give them a reasonable chance of struggling up into the 

 light in positions similar to those they find for themselves 

 in their vast domain of no-man's-land. As a rule, a sandy 

 soil suits them best, as may be known by their frequency in 

 sandy districts ; but they like good living, and starving land 

 will not produce many vetches, whether wild or cultivated. 

 In like manner all our cultivated species of lathyrus, orolus, 

 and astragalus do best on a deep sandy loam. But they 

 are not very particular, provided they have a good soil of 

 some sort, and are left alone for a few years to become 

 well established in it. Indeed, nine-tenths of the best of 

 our hardy flowers only ask to be left ^alone to find delight 

 in doing their duty. If they are transplanted about from 

 place to place as it is the way of beginners to treat all 

 their plants they take the sulks and refuse to flower, or 

 they take themselves off, and so teach a lasting though 

 disagreeable lesson. 



The round-leaved pea (Lathyrus rotundifolius] grows 

 to a height of about two feet, and flowers in August. The 

 flowers are produced in long loose clusters of a bright rosy 

 purple colour. It is a native of the Caucasus, and tho- 

 roughly hardy. Its low growth precludes its employment 

 to cover arbours and trellises ; but it is a good rockery 

 plant, and may with advantage be planted where it can 



