66 WILD FLOAVEES. 



grows in several of our wild woods and hedges, 

 and is reckoned among British plants, yet it can 

 he scarcely considered indigenous. It is, by 

 most writers, thought to be a native of the Ame- 

 rican woods, but it was commonly cultivated 

 before the time of Henry viii. — a period in 

 which few fruits were reared in England, until 

 after Catherine of Arragon had had them im- 

 ported. The beauty both of the fruit and 

 flower of the strawberry had attracted the notice 

 of lord Bacon. Speaking of a flower-garden : 

 " Trees," says he, " I would have none in it, 

 but some thicket made of sweetbrier and honey- 

 suckle, and some wild vine amongst ; and the 

 ground set with violets, strawberries, and prim- 

 roses ; for these are sweet, and prosper in the 

 shade." 



How beautiful now are the delicate bells of 

 the lily of the valley, {Convallaria majalis,) as 

 they grow, half hidden in the shade of their two 

 broad green leaves ! These flowers are now 

 brought in baskets for sale, into the towns, and 

 often planted in town gardens, there to pine 

 away far from their native shades. The root 

 of this flower is bitter, and has medicinal pro- 

 perties, and the juice of its leaves, prepared with 

 lime, yields to the manufacturer a beautiful dye. 

 By its side may sometimes be seen the wax-like 

 drooping blossoms of the Solomon's seal, (Con- 

 vallaria multijlora,) with their delicate green 

 edges. Its root, called whitewort, is used for 

 bruises, and certainly removes their blackness^ 

 Superstitious people, a few years ago, thovgh* 



