382 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



STUDIES IN THE FIELD AND FOREST. 



BY WILSON FLAGG. 



AUGUST. 



The hues of herb and flower have grown mature : 



The singing birds are silent and demure : 



Their nests are tenantless upon the spray, 



The season of their loves has passed away. 



More frequent marks of summer's close appear, 



The yelloAv leaves foretell the dying year ; 



A heavier night-dew rests upon the grass, • 



And scattered seeds are frequent as we pass. 



Tho' few of summer's early flowers remain. 



We see the coming of a numerous train, 



In bright and gorgeous beauty unsurpassed. 



That perish not till autumn's later blast. 



'Tis nature's rule to lead from dull to fair. 



From morning's dusky light to noonday's glare ; 



From the wee flowers that deck the field in May, 



To brighter ones in summer's proud array. 



All beauty brightens as the year retires, 



Till winter quenches autumn's fading fires. 



New glories charm us as the seasons fly ; 



New forms on earth, new wonders in the sky. 



Thus in the firmament, ere twilight's fled, 



Pale stars appear, whose light is dimly shed. 



That brighten and increase, as twilight dies, 



Unfolding every hour new wonders to our eyes. 



No. VI. Colors and Fragrance of Flowers. 



The colors, forms and fragrance of the leaves of plants, 

 and of their flowers and fruit, have always been a subject for 

 curious philosophical speculation, and a great many theories 

 have been advanced to explain their uses and advantages. 

 The Abbe St. Pierre, who has treated the subject very fully, 

 indulges the fancy that nature, in all these things, has oper- 

 ated with regard to general efl'ects ; and this idea is the great 

 fundamental error upon which his speculations are founded. 

 He describes nature as working with reference to the produc- 

 tion of a beautiful picture, and proceeds upon the hypothesis 

 that she covers the trees and shrubs with beautiful flowers to 



