34 * FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



flower. But there is little need for a perfect imitation 

 when the reality is at the command of all, for in the spring 

 season the huckster florists sell rose campions at a penny 

 each; they will grow almost anywhere, and whoever would 

 despise them for their cheapness would deserve to see 

 no more flowers in this world, whatever he might see in 

 the other. 



A small story may be worth telling, and here is a very 

 small one of which this plant is the subject. A few years 

 ago we visited a millionaire in a famous centre of manu- 

 facturing industry. The gardens were reputed to contain 

 four acres of glass, devoted for the most part to grapes, 

 pines, and peaches. The residence was a castle of high re- 

 nown for political influence and princely hospitality. In 

 making the tour of the gardens, and passing from begonias 

 to bananas, and from orange groves to houses filled with 

 orchids, we were invited by the head man to turn .aside to 

 see something " special." This proved to be a clump of 

 the common rose campion that had located itself near the 

 foot of a tree and had made a tremendous growth, and 

 was then covered with delicious flowers — a penny plant 

 prized by the millionaire and almost worshipped by his 

 gardeners ! 



There are three forms of this plant in cultivation, com- 

 prising the single red (here figured), the single white, and 

 the double redT John Gerarde figures the two. single kinds 

 in his usual truthful manner, and he records that in 1597 

 they were growing " plentifully in most gardens." He 

 speaks of the soft leaves as being "fit to make candle weekes," 

 and refers to the brightness of the flowers' as suggesting 

 "the names by which it appears they were then known, as 

 in English, the " gardner's delight, or gardner's eie ; in 



