228 August Change. 



stream in the foreground, as it detaches itself well, and 

 the flat leaves give a good horizontal surface, whilst the 

 erect flower supplies a vertical object of the greatest use 

 for contrast. There is a good contrast of color, too, 

 between the flower and the leaf. 



It would be tiresome to prolong this into a mere cat- 

 alogue, and the limits of these sylvan talks are nearly 

 reached. Vegetation never stands still, but there is a 

 time when it appears to pause, before the change tow- 

 ards decay. Yet even then the change has already 

 begun, and you have only to look around you to find 

 evidences of the coming destruction. In meadows and 

 pastures the "docks soon take their rich deep red of 

 leaves and fruit, the stalks being yellowish streaked with 

 red, and quite harmonious ; they are a most important 

 element of landscape. The curled dock makes especi- 

 ally magnificent color, with its dark-red stalks and leaves. 

 Some of the leaves of hornbeam turn pale yellow, and 

 others dark red. You have them pale yellow, dark red, 

 and fresh green, quite on the same branch or twig. The 

 juniper turns red altogether, much resembling the tint 

 known to painters and colormen as light red ; but this 

 happens capriciously, as it seems, to one plant, whilst 

 others in the same place remain quite green as in sum- 

 mer. At the same time the bracken is just beginning 

 to turn yellowish brown at the tips and edges of the 

 leaves. The crude violet purple of the heather is en- 

 tirely gone, and in its place we have a sad brown 

 in the flowers. The leaves of the wild cherry-trees are 

 beginning to turn red, and the robinia leaves are turning 



