AUGUST. 2G9 



when no care had furrowed our brows, or thought of the future disturbed 

 the tcnour of our lives. 



August, with its flowers and fruits, wears a rich and plenteous aspect/ the 

 brown corn, now ready for the sickle, is waving over the field, the broad and 

 leafy branches of the trees afford a shade to the tired cattle, the golden 

 cones of the hop are twining round the tall poles, and the orchard trees are 

 laden with ruddy fruits. The flowers look gay and brilliant, for Autumn 

 flowers are mostly yellow, and they seem to cluster in such abundance that 

 none would suspect they are far fewer in variety than in the preceding months; 

 perhaps twice the nunjber of species might be found by the botanist during 

 the month of June than he could find now, and though many summer 

 blossoms still linger, yet those strictly peculiar to August are comparatively 

 so few, that we can but remark the year is making rapid progress to its 

 close. 



The hedges and meadows are now blue with the heads of that pretty 

 flower, the Pasture Scabious, (Scahiosa succisa,) and on dry banks and walls 

 the Snap Dragon, (Antirrhinum majus,) still blooms. All the varjeties of 

 the Snap Dragon have the power of maintaining a state of vegetation in 

 great droughts, when most other plants yield to the influence of the weather; 

 and it is the more remarkable in these plants as the places in which they 

 chiefly delight to vegetate are particularly exposed to the influence of the 

 sun. The same may be said of the Burnet, (Poterium sanguisorla,) another 

 common plant that flowers at this time. From the Wild Thyme, {Thymus 

 serpyllum,) on the chalky bank comes a delightful fragrance, scenting the wan- 

 dering gale; here too are the bright blue blossoms and bristly stems of the 

 Viper's Bugloss, (Echium vulgare,) Yellow Toad Flax, called in the country 

 butter and eggs; Wild Mignionette, (Reseda luteola;) and Bitter Wood Sage, 

 {Teucrium scorodonia.) In the clear brook the pure white flowers of the 

 Water Arrowhead, (SagiUaria sagittifoUa,) may now be found emerging from 

 among their shining green leaves, from the shape of which the plant probably 

 derives its name; here also the Golden Rod, (Solidago virgaurea,) opens its 

 yellow blossoms, with the pale blue Forget-me-not, (Myosotis arvensis;) the 

 various kinds of Mint, (Mentha^ and Comfrey, (Symphytum officinale^ with 

 its rough leaves and pale yellowish bells still flowers. The climbing Dogwood, 

 (Cornus sanguinea,) flowers in the hedge, with the starry blossoms of the St. 

 John's Wort; the Greater Bindweed, (Galysteyia sepium,) Woundwort, (Stachys 

 sylvatica,) and Purple Nightshade, whose bright red berries have so often 

 tempted us in our youthful days. 



Every bank now presents its store of frail blue Harebells, (Campanida 

 rotundifolia,) waving and trembling in the breeze. Here the Mouse-ear, 

 (Hieracium pilosella,) and Ragwort, (Senecio JacoJxea,) raise their bright 

 yellow stars, with Betony, (Betonica officinalis,) Yellow Bedstraw, (Galium 

 verum,) and Tansy, (Tanacetum vulgare.) This plant was formerly very 

 general in gardens, but is left now for the cottage ground, where in the 



