THE 

 MILK THISTLE. 



Carduus Marianus. Nnt. 

 Ord. Composite?. 



EW of our native plants are more 

 striking in appearance than a 

 good specimen of this plant. 

 The beautiful milk-white veins 

 spread thickly on every leaf, 

 the size of the leaves them- 

 -- selves, and the grandeur of the 

 whole growth are points that 

 must appeal to all beholders who 

 have any eye at all for natural 

 beauty, and few plants may 

 more appropriately be trans- 

 ferred from the wild state to 

 the beds of the flower-garden. 

 It takes up a great deal of room, 

 but where a garden affords 

 plenty of space this is anything 

 but a drawback, as it is a very noble-looking plant. It 

 is possible, however, that the gardener might object 

 to the free way in which the seed gets dispersed every- 

 where, and we know by our own experience that one con- 

 sequence of introducing it is the necessity of freely weeding 

 out the superfluous seedlings that spring up all over the 

 garden. After all, however, they do not give anything- 



