flyclrangea hortensis most prominently so. An in- 
stance of change of colour, which may he presumed 
to be dependent on change of soil, is shown by the 
very plant before us, the Astragalus vesicarius. 
Sir W. J. Hooker says, in the Botanical Magazine, 
Although, as cultivated in the Glasgow Botanic 
Garden, from seeds communicated by Mr. Otto of 
Berlin, the flowers are always of a rich purple 
colour, becoming darker and almost blue in age, 
yet they appear, in a wild state, to be sometimes 
cream-coloured or white.” 
It seems to us, that in these days of assiduous 
attention to floriculture, the influence of soils has 
been somewhat overlooked, for it is but reasonable 
to suppose that if the flower of an individual plant 
be varied by the quality of the soil in which it is' 
grown, a more decisive variation may be obtained 
by continuing the same influence on successive gene- 
rations of such plant. Again, this variation will 
be referable to the influence of certain ingredients 
naturally combined with the earth, and these being 
discovered, may be increased or diminished artifi- 
cially, as the cultivator may find best suited to his 
pur])ose of heightening or subduing certain colours 
on which he is desirous to operate ; thus ultimately, 
by perseverance, agreeably to the fixed laws of na- 
ture, in lieu of submission to chance, we may 
attain to results not only satisfactory to tlie philo- 
sopher, but full of delight to the practical man, and 
the less thinking observer. 
The Astragalus vesicarius should be planted in 
a light loamy soil in a dry situation, and is best in- 
creased from seeds. 
Don’s Syst. Bot. 2, 259. 
