408 



object, at the close of autumn, as it was in the opening 

 summer." 



C circinata* Round-leaved Cornel. A spreading 

 shrub from four to six feet high, with roundish leaves. 

 The young shoots are green, blotched with purple ; flow- 

 ers white ; fruit blue, turning whitish, and ripe in October. 



C stolonifera, Red-stemmed Cornel. The main stem 

 is usually prostrate and sends up slender erect branches, 

 five to eight feet high; flowers white, and fruit lead-col- 

 ored. This plant is conspicuous towards the end of win- 

 ter for the rich red color of its stems and shoots. 



C. panic lllata, Panicled Cornel. About six feet high, 

 with rather irregular branches. Flowers produced in 

 great profusion in May and June, and are succeeded by 

 white berries, which ripen in August and September, at 

 which time the fruit-stalks become a delicate pale scarlet. 



. THE THORN. 



[Name from the Greek, signifying strength, from Ihe hardness of the wood.] 



In relation to this genus Mr. Emerson remarks : "It 

 is found that a greater variety of beautiful small trees and 

 ornamental shrubs can be formed of the several species of 

 Thorn, than of any kind of tree whatever. Thus they 

 give persons, whose grounds are not extensive, the means 

 of ornamenting their grounds with great facility. If 

 trained as trees, they have an appearance of singular neat- 

 ness united with a good degree of vigor ; and the read- 

 iness with which they are pruned and grafted, renders 

 them susceptible of almost any shape which the fancy of 

 the owner would have them assume. Some of the species, 

 native to Massachusetts, often take, even in a state of na- 

 ture, the shape of handsome low trees Of these, the 

 flowers and foliage have great beauty, and the scarlet 



