260 WILD FLOWERS. 



applications to cuts, burns, and bruises. This excep- 

 tion is the " wall-pepper/' or biting stonecrop (S. 

 acre), which is remarkably acrid ; when applied to 

 the skin it raises blisters, and when swallowed, acts 

 as an emetic ; though in skilful and cautious hands 

 it is useful in quartan agues, and other complaints. 

 On biting it, no acridity is at first observed, but 

 after a minute or two an extraordinary sensation of 

 tingling and burning in the throat is felt ; first the 

 lips, and then the throat begin to swell, and the 

 last feels almost as if it were closed. This plant is 

 perhaps the most beautiful of its beautiful family 

 so far as they occur in England as it literally gilds 

 the roof of time-worn cottages, or battered castle 

 walls. And perhaps too it merits, almost more 

 than the others, the name of " live-long/' as it will 

 live, and appear perfectly to flourish for months, if 

 it be but occasionally sprinkled with water, or if 

 its root or stem be immersed in water occasionally 

 for a few minutes. On this account we sometimes 

 see it in old-fashioned farm-houses, forming a fresh 

 and pleasant fire-place screen or " chimney-board " 

 the summer through : the plants being inserted into 

 a frame of crossbars of wire or wood, so that their 

 roots are towards the grate, and their closely 

 arranged discs towards the room ; the whole surface 

 being occasionally sprinkled with water. There 

 are few more interesting phenomena than those 

 which relate to the time that plants, according to 

 their succulency, will retain life without the appli- 

 cation of soil to the roots. Aloes have this property 

 in a remarkable degree, a circumstance well known 



