368 Wild Plants in the Vicinity of Boston. 



ones to supply their place ; I have gathered them in this 

 manner as large as hen's eggs, on the first of February, and 

 very few, if any persons, could tell the difference between 

 them and potatoes grown in a frame ; the whole art lies in 

 having the sandy light loam perfectly dry. The process is 

 easy, simple, and well worthy of a trial. In taking out the 

 potatoes, I would prefer lifting earth and potatoes out with 

 a flower pot, instead of a spade, passing the whole through 

 a coarse sieve. 



Yours, &c., P. Q. 



Philadelphia, Jlug. 11 th, 1835. 



Art. V. Beautiful Plants growing wild, in the Vicinity of 



Boston. By E. B. Kenrick, Watertown. 

 Gentlemen, 



In compliance with your frequent request, I have endeav- 

 ored to form a descriptive catalogue of those plants which 

 are at once natives of our vicinity, and worthy of cultivation 

 on account of the beauty of their flowers. Of a large pro- 

 portion of these, I can speak from personal observation; 

 having frequently sought and found them in their native 

 wilds, and afterwards preserved, and analyzed them. With 

 a view to render the present selection more complete, I have 

 occasionally stepped a, little beyond the outskirts of our 

 metropolis, and have also described a few plants which adorn 

 the Alpine heights of more northern regions. Several beau- 

 tiful natives have been excluded from this catalogue, merely 

 on account of their being so common as to be thought little 

 better than weeds. Others, M'-hich are not in this predica- 

 ment, might, perhaps, have been omitted, or added, to advan- 

 tage; but, on this point, opinions are likely to difler. 



It has not been my design to furnish mere botanical 

 descriptions. On the contrary, it has been my endeavor to 

 render my descriptions intelligible to readers of all classes; 

 and thereby to enable them to identify the plants described. 

 And for this purpose, I have not only translated (as may be 

 said) the best botanical descriptions to be obtained, but have 

 attempted to improve the descriptions, by interspersing 

 original remarks.* How far I have succeeded in the truly 



* I must not forget, in this place, to acknowledge my peculiar obliga- 

 tions to the excellent Florula Bostoniensis of Dr. Bigelow. 



