SAXIFRAGA VIRGINIENSIS. EARLY WHITE SAXIFRAGE. 75 



blc. As soon as the flower-shoots grow, the lower leaves begin 

 to fade and lose their regular form ; but with the warm weather, 

 another attractive feature is developed. The green of the 

 leaves becomes prettily tinted with rose, and at this stage 

 the plant is in nice condition for the artist, to whom these 

 departing shades in the sunset of plant-life are always welcome. 

 The flowers are not showy by any means, being small and 

 colorless ; but as soon as the petals begin to fade, the carpels 

 take on a deep shade of brown, which, as we see in our plate, 

 produces a very pretty effect. Many other members of the 

 family have good points similar to those we find in the Early 

 Saxifrage. 



Our plant does not do as well on dry rocks as on those on 

 which there is some moisture, and it assumes its handsomest 

 form in shaded places. When the rock has been disintegrated 

 and the remains collect to some depth in favorable places, the 

 Early Saxifrage is in its glory, and will make plants three or 

 four times larger than the one illustrated here. 



Some of the species have astringent or aromatic roots, out of 

 which something useful might be made, and in old times one of 

 them was thought to be a good diuretic. None have entered into 

 any of the great scientific questions of the day to any material 

 extent, but they have a use in preparing the bare rocks for better 

 things. The mosses and lichens collect dust on the rocks, and 

 add to this matter by their own decomposition, and the Saxi- 

 frages follow, doing much better work after they have once 

 established themselves. In this way, little by little, a surface of 

 earth is accumulated on the rocks ; then the rain or melting 

 snow, with the frost, get a chance to operate ; and finally, in the 

 course of time, a soil is produced that will grow anything. 

 But this may not be the only service which these plants are 

 capable of doing to man. It is well to note that our knowledge 

 of the u-:es of things has progressed amazingly of late years, 

 and it is more than probable that this very extensive family 

 still holds secrets which will only be exposed to future genera- 



