MICHAELMAS DAISY. 415 



the corollas being radiated and nearly of the size 

 of the common Daisy. 



This rustic flower adds considerably to the 

 embellisliment of the autumnal garden, for its 

 hardy nature suits it to every soil and situ- 

 ation, and when left undisturbed for a few years^ 

 it sends up such numerous branches that it bears 

 more the appearance of a large shrub than a 

 flowering herb, and on this account it is admi- 

 rably adapted to mix in plantations of evergreen 

 shrubs, where its lilac flowers add as much gaiety 

 in the months of October and November, as the 

 early-flowering shrubs contribute towards the 

 beautifying of the spring assemblage. 



Of the utility of this American Aster, we as 

 yet know nothing farther than that it affords the 

 bees a late and almost a last resource, and we may 

 conclude that these flowers contain a consider- 

 able quantity of honey, since we have frequently 

 seen the corollas so thickly covered with these 

 emblems of industry, that the flowers seemed to 

 have wings attached to their petals. Thus the 

 bees have their season for collecting of sweets 

 considerably lengthened by the introduction of this 

 and other plants of the Columbian fields ; whilst 

 we, by retaining the smiles of Flora on our par- 

 terres, lessen the dreariness of the winter months, 



