SPRING. 51 



colours, as tliey are termed, may be found in Dr M'Cosli's 

 " Typical Forms ; " the looking-for and verifying the in- 

 stances there given add a fresh pleasure to every hour 

 spent among the flowers of the field, as well as those of 

 the garden. Truly, indeed, does he say that, " Surrounded 

 as we are by such harmonies, we are convinced that wher- 

 ever the mind seeks for them it will discover them ; nay, 

 the eye fixes on them when it is not designedly seeking 

 for them, and rejoices in them when it can give no account 

 of the cause of its joy. At the same time, the contempla- 

 tive intellect experiences a further pleasure, and a pleasure 

 of its own, when it can scientifically explain to itself the 

 source of all this enjoyment, and systematically look out 

 for the pleasing associations of nature.^' To return to the 

 garden, from which we have slightly wandered, we may 

 give another extract on this subject from Chevreul, one 

 of the highest authorities on colours ; he says : — " The prin- 

 cipal rule to be observed in the arrangement of flowers is, 

 to place the blue next the orange, and the violet next the 

 yellow ; whilst red and pink flowers are never seen to greater 

 advantage than when surrounded by verdure and by white 

 flowers ; the latter may also be advantageously dispersed 

 among groups formed of blue and orange, and of violet and 

 yellow flowers." 



There are pretty little spring flowers among the phloxes, 

 low growing, and disposed to encroach on their neighbours, 

 but bright and easily cultivated ; and one of them, Phlox 

 frondosa, makes a nice bedding-out plant when allowed to 

 fill up the bed, flowering profusely, and for a long time. 



