THE PARLOR GARDENER. 93 



straw having its ear half developed; then, in a 

 contrary slant, cut a joint of the phalaris reed, 

 which is to be the stock of your graft, and fit one 

 to the other, wrapping them with a thread of 

 very fine woollen yarn. The whole, for greater 

 security, must be attached to a rod for a support. 

 You will thus see the rice stalk, nourished by the 

 phalaris, ripen its grain as well as that which is 

 not grafted. 



There is a little plant, the aquatic ranunculus, 

 common in all our streams, which, if you follow 

 my advice, you will admit into the society of the 

 rarest plants. What recommends it is its pecu- 

 liar mode of vegetation. After springing from 

 the seed at the bottom of the basin, the stalk, as 

 it progresses in its growth, puts forth, in place of 

 leaves, elegant filaments of a fine, pale green ; 

 and this continues to be the case until it has be- 

 come long enough to reach the surface of the 

 water, and come in contact with the air. Then, 

 as if transformed suddenly into a different plant, 

 its whole appearance changes ; no more filaments 

 to be seen ; they have become metamorphosed into 

 leaves cut in segments, which lie floating upon 



