THE HEDGE-BANK. DO 



way as oxygen on the lungs. The sap changes 

 its colour from white to green, and after being 

 altered in other respects, is sent back through 

 the leaf-stalk into the 

 main stem, from which it 

 rises again to all parts of 

 the plant. 



The reason then why 

 primroses placed in water 

 without leaves soon fade 

 is, that water alone is not 

 their proper food, they re- 

 quire to be supplied with 

 sap, which has been ex- 

 posed to the action of the 

 atmosphere, and this pro- 

 cess can only be perform- 

 ed in the leaves. 



In almost every hedge 

 you will find (if you 

 search for it, but not else, 

 for it has few pretensions 

 to beauty,) a little plant, 

 which, though inconspi- 

 cuous, is very singularly 

 constructed. This is the 

 hairy Bitter Cress.* It 

 sends up tufts of leaves 

 very early in the spring, 

 and, when young, it is 

 by no means despicable 

 as a salad. Its small 

 white flowers are insig- 

 nificant, and soon fall 



BITTER CRESS. 



Cardamine hirsuta. 



