By Richard Anthony Salisbury, Esq. 49 



plants several as of greater and lesser, but that the greatness 

 is caused by the fertility of the soil;" his figures are wretchedly 

 copied from Swertius, and by his calling it the Indian 

 knobbed Jacinth, it appears not to have been known here 

 then by its modern name. Gaspar Bauhin, with his usual 

 carelessness, also takes it up as two species from Swertius, 

 and even the learned Ray seems to have known as little 

 about it in 1693, adding, however, to his second species, the 

 title of Tuberose. 



I meet with nothing more of any consequence respecting 

 it, till Philip Miller, the pride of every British gardener, 

 published the first edition of his Dictionary in 1731. He 

 makes it a distinct genus from Hyacinthus, and describes the 

 variety with double flowers, now so common, but then only 

 to be seen in Monsieur de la Court's garden near Ley- 

 den, whose memory is most justly consigned to infamy by 

 our author, for destroying many hundreds of the roots, rather 

 than part with a single one to any other person ; an in- 

 stance of narrowness of mind and ill nature, he adds, too 

 common among the lovers of gardening. I trust no one who 

 belongs to this Society will ever deserve a similar reproach. 

 At this period we find the roots were annually imported into 

 England, along with Orange trees and Myrtles from Genoa, 

 and to the directions there given for blowing them, so as to 

 have a succession of flowers from June till October, nothing 

 can be added. 



Though our gardens now are enriched with a profusion of 

 other fragrant and beautiful flowers, the Tuberose still conti- 

 nues to maintain its superiority, and we receive roots, espe- 

 cially of the double variety, from the warmer provinces of 



vol. i. H 



Mo. Bot. Garden, 



1897. 



