54 SHROVE TIDE? 



FEB. 23. St. Mileurge, virgin, in England. 



St. Serenus, a gardener, martyr, a.d. 307. 



B. Dositheus, monk. 



B. Peter Damian, cardinal, a.d. 1072. 



St. Boisil, prior of Melross, confessor. 



Obs. St. Milburge was sister to St. Mildrid, and was abbess ot 

 Weulock in Shropshire in the seventh century. 



St. Serenus was by birth a Grecian. He quitted estate, friends, 

 and country, to serve God in an ascetic life, that is, in celibacy, 

 penance, and prayer. He was a gardener at Sirmium in Panomia 

 or Hungary. The governor hearing that he was a Christian, and 

 had refused to sacrifice to the false gods, sentenced him to be be- 

 headed. He was executed on the 23d of February, in 307. The 

 ancient Martyrology attributed to St. Jerom joins with him sixty 

 two others, who at different times were crowned at Sirmium ; the 

 Roman Martyrology, with others, say seventy two. 



St. Peter Damian was a Cardinal and also Bishop of Ostia, and 

 was bom in the year 988, 





Apricot Tree Prunus Armeniaca blossoms. 



One of the most pleasing sights to the gardener is the first open - 

 ing of the blossoms on the fruit trees on the wall. The Apricot in 

 mUd springs flowers about this time, and in about a month is in full 

 bloom, though not very often sooner. It is quickly followed by the 

 Peach and Nectarine. The time of this, as well as of other fruit 

 tree blossoms, depends much on the season. In some years the 

 Apricot is out by the middle of February, in others not till the end 

 of Alarch. 



Daisies when the weather is mild are now getting common here 

 and there. Dryden thus alludes to this plant: 



And then the Band of Flutes began to play. 



To which a Lady sung a Virelay ; 



And still at every close she would repeat 



The burden of the song, " the Daisy is so sweet ;" 



"The Daisy is so sweet," when she begun. 



The troops of Knights and Dames continued on 



The consort ; and the voice so charmed my ear, ~^ 



And soothed my soul, that it was heaven to hear. 



