ur gardens, the flowers are well adapted for nosegays, have a
sweet musky smell, and are produced in great profusion from June to
October.

It is a hardy biennial, requiring yearly to be raised from seeds, these
should be sown about the latter end of May, or beginning of June, on a
shady border of fresh earth, thinning the plants as they advance to the
distance of three or four inches; in autumn they should be removed into
the border, where they are intended to flower, thus treated they will
become good strong plants against winter, flower early the ensuing
summer, and produce abundance of perfect seeds.

The blossoms vary in colour, towards autumn the edge of the florets
become paler.

PARKINSON, deviating from his usual accuracy, describes the flowers
without scent. _vid. Parad._

[Illustration: _No 247_]

[Illustration: _No 248_]

[248]

VINCA ROSEA. MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLE.

_Class and Order._

PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.

_Generic Character._

Contorta. _Folliculi_ 2 erecti. _Semina_ nuda.

_Specific Character and Synonyms._

VINCA _rosea_ caule fructescente erecto, foliis ovato oblongis, petiolis
basi bidentatis, floribus geminis sessilibus. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab.
ed. 14._ _Murr. p. 252._ _Ait. Kew. v. 1. p. 296._

VINCA foliis oblongo-ovatis integerrimis, tubo floris longissimo, caule
ramoso fruticoso. _Mill. Icon. 86._

The _Vinca rosea_ was first Cultivated in this country by Mr. PHILIP
MILLER in 1757, he observes that it deserves a place in the stove as
much as any of the exotic plants we have in England, because the flowers
are very beautiful, and there is a constant succession of them all the
summer.

The following account is extracted from his Dictionary.

"This plant grows naturally in the Island of Madagascar, from whence the
seeds were brought to the Royal Garden at Paris, where the plants were
first raised, and produced their flowers the following summer; from
these plants good seeds were obtained, which were sent me by Mr.
RICHARD, gardener to the King at Versailles and Trianon. It rises to the
height of three or four feet; the branches which when young are
succulent become ligneous by age: these flowers which appear early in
the summer produce ripe seeds in the autumn.

"This sort is propagated by seeds or cuttings in the usual way; unless
the summer proves warm these plants should not be placed abroad, for
they will not thrive if they are exposed to cold or wet, t