CALENDAR, 1820. 409 



Hth. -Papaver somniferum in flower in my garden, from 

 seeds which came up last autumn. (The petals are single, 

 pale purple, and like those of the large white kind in shape.* 



12th. Anagallis arvensis the Wincopipe in flower, but its 

 petals are closed on account of the showery weather. 



13th. Papaver Ehaeas in flower in my garden. This plant 

 in general blooms very early in the morning. As far as I can 

 observe, each morning supplies a fresh set of flowers, and they 

 soon drop off, and the capsule ripens. 



14th. Ophrys bifolia in flower in my field; likewise a 

 variety of Carduus Marianus, without the milky streaks. 

 Valeriana officinalis, Lysimachia nemorum, and Dianthns 

 barbatus } are also in flower to-day ; the latter is, of course, in 

 the garden. I hear that Papaver Rhaeas is now very abudantly 

 in flower among the corn in Surrey. 



15th. Digitalis pur pur ea in flower on most of the banks. 

 This evening the stratus filled the valley of the Medway, and 

 indicated a change to fine weather a sign alluded to by" 

 Virgil : " At nebulae magis ima petunt, campoque recumbuiit" 

 &c. See Georg. lib. i. 



17th. Fine morning. Dianthus barbatus the Sweet 

 Williams, Gladiolus communis the Sword Flag, just coming 

 into flower at Hartwell. 



18th. Riding to Merstham, I observed Corn Poppies P. 

 Rhaeas to begin to be common at Bleachinglye, though they 

 are not numerous in all the fields there. In some places only, 

 the fields are already quite scarlet with them ; the soil being 

 there a red sand, mixed with chalk ; but on the Sussex side 

 of the town, and in all this tract, of dun coloured clay and 

 marie, about East Grinstead, and as far as Tunbridge Wells, 

 there is scarce a Poppy to be seen, except in gardens. 



* I shall notice the particular varieties from time to time, as I find old 

 Gerard considered them to be permanent. 



