10 THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 



sleeping forces and once more decks with beauty the 

 world that has been stripped by the rough hand of 

 Winter. The heavens seem to have undergone a new 

 birth their fresh blue kisses the distant horizon ; the 

 soft breeze plays with the swelling buds ; the sun pours 

 down from on high his vivifying rays, verdure springs 

 ap anew, flowers and trees feel their life's blood once 

 more coursing through all their veins, and from the 

 highest mountains where vegetation still lingers, to 

 the green plains below, the whole earth seems to cel- 

 ebrate the return of Spring in joy and brightness. 

 What a marvellous transformation has been effected ! 



The trees of our orchards, the vast forests, which for 

 months have presented only bare trunks, and seemed 

 immovable, inert objects, which death had claimed 

 for its own, become green again, clothe themselves 

 once more with fresh leaves and spread their shade 

 over the peaceful retreats of the country. The habit 

 of seeing each year repeating the same marvel the 

 same resurrection from death to life, keeps us from ap- 

 preciating it in all its grandeur, and recognizing in it 

 the prodigious forces at work. But if we think for an 

 instant of the aspect of winter and of that of the season 

 which succeeds it, we will be ourselves surprised at 

 the indifference with which we often regard* these 

 changes, without even a passing glance or an earnest 

 thought. 



How much more, if to the general contemplation of 

 the great transformations of spring and summer we 

 should adki the special observations of each class of 

 plants. Then, if we attempted to follow the devel- 



