/ 
F L O W E R. 
was named flos Jacobaus, becanfe Tome imagined that they 
difcovered in it a likenefs to vhe badge of the knights of 
the order of St. James in Spain, vvhofe founder, in the 
fourteenth century, could not indeed have been acquainted 
with this beautiful amaryllis. Another fpecies of this 
genus is the Guernfey lily, amaryllis Sarnievfis, which in 
the magnificence of its flower is not inferior to the former. 
This plant was brought from Japan, where it was found 
by Ksempfer, and all'o by Thunberg, who vifited that 
country about thirty years ago. It was firft cultivated 
in the beginning of the feventeenth century in the garden 
of John Morin, at Paris, where it blowed, for the firfl: 
time, on the 7th of October, 1634. It was then made 
known by Jacob Cornutus, under the name of narcijfus 
Japonicus jlore rutilo. After this it was again noticed by 
our countryman Ray, who called it the Guernfey lily, 
which name it lull very properly bears. A fhip returning 
from Japan was wrecked on the coall of Guernfey, and a 
ciumber of the bulbs of this plant, which were 011-board, 
being call on-fliore, took root in that fandy foil. As they 
foon increafed and produced beautiful flowers, they were 
obferved by the inhabitants, and engaged the attention of 
Mr. Hatton, the governor’s fon, vvhofe botanical know¬ 
ledge is highly fpoken of by Ray, and who fent roots of 
them to feveral of his friends in England who were fond 
of cultivating curious plants. Of this elegant flower Dr. 
Douglafs gave a defeription and figure, iiva fmall treatife 
publit'hed in 1725, which is quoted by Linnteus in his 
Bibliotheca, but not by Haller. 
Of the numerous genus of the ranunculus, florifts, to 
fpeak in a botanical fenfe, have obtained a thoufand dif¬ 
ferent kinds; for, according to the manner in which they 
are diftinguifhed by gardeners, the varieties are infinite, 
and increafe almofl every fummer; as thofe with half- 
double flowers bear feed which produces plants that from 
time to time divide themfelves into new kinds that ex¬ 
hibit greater and more uncommon beauties. The principal 
part of them, however, and thofe moll: efleemed, were 
brought to us from the Levant. Some were carried from 
that part of the world fo early as in the time of the cru- 
fades; but moll of them have been introduced into Eu¬ 
rope from Conftantinople fince the end of the fixteenth 
century, particularly the Perfian ranunculus, the varieties 
of which hold at prefent the fir It rank. Clufuis deferibes 
botli the Angle and the double flowers as new rarities. 
This flower was in the highefi repute during the time of 
Mahomet IV. His grand vizier, Cara Muftapha, well 
known by his hatred againft the Chriftians at the fiege of 
Vienna in 1683, wilhing to turn the fultan’s thoughts to 
fome milder amufement than that of the chace, for which 
he had a flrong pallion, diverted his attention to flowers; 
and as he remarked that the emperor preferred the ra¬ 
nunculus to all others, he wrote to the different pachas 
throughout the whole kingdom to fend him feeds or-roots 
of the molt beautiful kinds. The pachas of Candia, Cy¬ 
prus, Aleppo, and Rhodes, paid moll regard to this re- 
queft ; and the elegant flowers which they tranfmitted to 
court were fhut up in the feraglio as unfortunate offerings 
to the voluptuoufnefs of the fultan, till fome of them, by 
the force of money, were at length freed from their im- 
prifonment. The ambaffadors from the European courts, 
in particular, made it their bufinefs to procure roots of as 
many kinds as they could, which they fent to their dif¬ 
ferent fovereigns. Murfeilles, which at that period car¬ 
ried on the greatefl: trade to the .Levant, received on this 
account thefe flowers very early ; and a perfon there, of 
the name of Malaval, is laid to have contributed very 
much to difperfe them all over Europe. 
Method of preserving Flowers. —With this view, 
gather rofes, or other flowers, before they are thoroughly 
open, and in the middle of a dry day : put them into an 
earthen veil'd glazed within; fill the veil'd up to the top 
with them; and fprinkle them over with fome white 
wine, and a little fait: fet them by in a cellar, tying down 
the mouth of the pot very clofe. After this they may 
Vol. VII. No. 442. 
4 ()<) 
be taken out at pleafure ; and, on fetting them in the 
fun, or within reach of the fire, they will open as if grow¬ 
ing naturally; and not only the colour, but the fmellallo, 
will be preferved. 
The flowers of dried plants, with the ftalks, &c. are 
more difficult to preferve; particularly with refpeCt to 
the colour. The primrofe and cowllip are very eminent 
in fiances of the change of colours in the flowers of dried 
fpecimens: for though thofe of this clafs eafily dry in 
their natural Ihape ; yet they lofe their yellow, and, inftead 
of it, acquire a fine green colour, much fuperior to that 
of the leaves in their moft perfect date. The flowers of 
all the violet kind lofe their beautiful blue, and become 
of a dead white: fo that in dried fpecimens there is no 
difference between the blue violet and the white-flow¬ 
ered kinds. 
Sir Robert Southwell has communicated a method of 
drying plants, by which this defeat is propofed to be in 
fome meafure remedied, and all flowers preferved in their 
natural fhape, and many in their natural colours. For 
tliis purpofe two fmooth plates of iron are to be prepared 
of the lize of a large half-(beet of paper, or larger for 
particular occalions; thefe plates mud: be made Co thick 
as not to be apt to bend ; and a hole made at each corner 
for receiving a ferevv to fallen them together. When the 
plates are prepared, lay in readinefs feveral (beets of pa¬ 
per, and then gather the plants with their flowers when 
they are quite dry and perfect. Lay the plant and its 
flower on one of the fheets of paper doubled in half, 
fpreading out all the leaves and petals as nicely as pof- 
fible. If the (talk be thick, it mud be pared or cut in 
half, fo that it may lie flat; and if it is woody, it may be 
peeled,' and only the baik left. When the plant is thus 
expanded, lay round about it fome loofe leaves and petals 
of the flower, which may ferve to complete any part that 
is deficient. When this is done, lay feveral Iheets of pa¬ 
per over the plant, and as many under it; ferew them 
clofe, and put them into an oven of the ufual heat after 
bread is drawn, and let them remain there two hours. 
After that, make a mixture of equal parts of aquafortis 
and common brandy; (hake thefe well together, and when 
the flowers are taken from between the plates, wall) them 
lightly over with a cameFs-hair pencil dipped in this li¬ 
quor ; then lay them upon frefli brown paper, and cover¬ 
ing them with fome finer Iheets, prefs them between this 
and other papers with a handkerchief till the wet of thele 
liquors is dried wholly av/ay. When the plant is thus far 
prepared, take the bulk of a nutmeg of gum-dragon ; put 
this into a pint of fair water cold, and let it fland twenty- 
four hours; it will in this time be wholly dilfolved : then 
dip a fine hair pencil in this cement, and with it fmear 
over the back fides of the leaves, and lay them carefully 
down on a half-Iheet of white paper fairly expanded, and 
prefs them down with more papers over thele. When 
the gum-water is fixed, let the preffure and papers be 
removed, and the work is finidted. The leaves retain 
their true verdure in this cafe, and the flowers ufually 
keep their natural colours. Care, however, mud be 
taken, that the heat of the oven be not too great. 
The following method of preferving both flowers and - 
fruit found throughout the year, is given by the fame 
author. Take faltpetre, one pound ; Armenian bole, two 
pounds; clean common land, three pounds. Mix all well 
together; then gather fruit of any kind that is not over 
ripe, with the flalk to each ; put thefe, one by one, into 
a wide-mouthed glafs, laying them in good order. Tie 
over the top with an oil-fkin, and carry them into a dry 
cellar, and fet the whole upon a bed of the prepared mat¬ 
ter of four inches thick in a box. Fill up the remainder 
of the box with the fame preparation; and let it be four 
inches thick above the top of the glafs, and all round 
its fides. Flowers may be preferved in the fame fort of 
glades, and in the fame manner; and may be taken up 
after a whole year as fair and perfect as when they were 
buried. 
6 D 
Flowers 
