136 WHITSUN TIDE? 



MAY 15. St. Dympna, virgin, martyr, in 7th cent. 



SS. Peter, Andrew, &c. martyrs, a.d. 250. 



St. Genebrard, martyr in Ireland. 



Obs. The holy martyrs, Peter, Andrew, &c. suffered in the time 

 ofOptimus, the proconsul of Asia, who inflicted upon them the worst 

 of torments, after which they were beheaded. 



Yellow Poppy Papaver Cambricum flowers. 



Sulphur Poppy Papaver nudicaule flowers. 



The bellow, and the Sulphur Poppy blow abundantly about this 

 time, and continue through ^lay and June. There is some difliculty 

 in introducing these plants into all sorts of soils ; for though the seed 

 takes readily in some places, yet in others a vast quantity of seed 

 may be sown without a single plant appearing. Rockwork, old 

 ruins, stone bridges, and the bases or tops of walls, in shady places, 

 are suitable situations for these plants ; and bog earth or other light 

 mould lodging in the fissures of rocks and stones forms a good soil 

 for their seeds. The Yellow Poppy grows abundantly on the north 

 side of a house near to Withyam Church in Sussex. It is wild in 

 Wales. 



Cockchaffer Scarabaeus Melolontha appears. 



These well known reddish grey insects begin now to be seen 

 about : they are very abundant towards the close of the month, and 

 are succeeded early in June by the green sort called Maybugs, but 

 which properly speaking are the productions of June. 



This day in the " Ephemeris of Nature" is called Tullpigaudium, 

 the Standard Tulips being in their fullest blow. Vast beds of these 

 gaudy flowers are now exhibited in the neighbourhood of London for 

 a shilling, and at Haerlem and other towns of Holland their number 

 and variety is even greater than in London. Tulips however form 

 an essential part of everj' good flower garden in the vernal season. 

 By the end of this month they are faded, and nearly all gone. We 

 have for many years had a large assortment of them at Hartwell in 

 Sussex. The best earth for Tulips is a mixture of sand, loam, and a 

 small quantity of comminuted dry dung, mixed. They should not be 

 too frequently taken out of the ground ; once in four years is often 

 enough, and they should then be dug up, separated, and planted 

 again between JMichaelmas and Allhallow Tide. 



