JUNE. 117 



with clusters of very small white flowers. "When 

 the flowers die, they are succeeded by bunches 

 of seed-vessels, so large that no one would sup- 

 pose that they belonged to so tiny a flower. 

 The seed-vessels are often three or four inches 

 in length, and they taper into a sharp point at 

 the summit ; hence the rural name of the flower, 

 which is also called Vcnus's comb. It is be- 

 lieved that this plant was eaten at table by the 

 ancient Greeks. 



Several poppies are in bloom during this 

 month, and in the course of July, all our six- 

 wild species of this beautiful flower enliven the 

 fields. Ornamental as they are to the pastoral 

 scenerv, wavins; to and fro their large handsome 

 heads, yet they are very annoymg to the culti- 

 vator. The common red poppy, {Papaver 

 Mhceas,) with its globular flower, is general in 

 all parts of England, and sometimes called 

 cheese-bowl, and head-ache. It is cultivated in 

 Flanders, and several parts of Germany, for the 

 sake of its seeds, from which an excellent oil is 

 made, and used as a substitute for olive-oil. 

 The ancients had a very different opinion of the 

 poppy from that entertained in modern days ; 

 for, instead of regarding it as injurious to the 

 corn-field, they looked upon its gay petals as a 

 trophy of triumph to the land-owner, since no 

 corn was thought good which had not an admix- 

 ture of the poppy : and when the reaper offered 

 to Ceres his thank-oiferings for a good harvest, 

 the brown ears of corn and the seeds of the 

 poppy served for an expression of his gratitude. 



