THE CORN-FIELD. 19 



to rise or sink. Strength and lightness are thus 

 equally ensured. There is no such reason why 

 the stems of corn should be light, but there is 

 very good reason why they should be strong ; and, 

 if we bear in mind that from the smallness-of their 

 seeds and roots they are unable to acquire any 

 great substance in one year, we shall readily see 

 why it is necessary for that small quantity to be 

 arranged in such a way as to make the stem as 

 strong as possible. Besides this, I may observe, 

 that there enters into the composition of the outer 

 part of the stems a portion of flint. You wonder, 

 perhaps, that anything so different in its appear- 

 ance as flint is from straw should be found in the 

 stems of corn, but your wonder will be trans- 

 ferred to another object, when I tell you that it 

 exists in such large quantities in the stems of a 

 certain juicy plant (horse-tail) growing in our 

 marshes, that country people use its dried stems 

 to polish vessels of tin and brass. 



I doubt whether there is a more beautiful sight 

 in the world than that which is presented by a 

 field of wheat or barley in the month of June. 

 There has been heavy rain during the night; a 

 drop is here and there even yet sparkling on some 

 tufts of grass, and the recently-fallen leaves of the 

 poppy are still crimson and fresh ; the wild gera- 

 nium in the hedge-bank has not yet raised its 

 head, though the scarlet pimpernel, almost a bet- 

 ter weather-prophet than the daisy, has opened 

 so widely that I may not fear any more rain to- 

 day; the ground under yonder hawthorn-tree is 

 covered with the white petals which the rain has 

 beaten off. I am rather sorry for this, for I 

 should like to gather a branch, and to bury my 



