441 



MY GARDEN. 



Persians made their invocations or prayers wearing- a tiara encircled 

 generally with . myrtle. And again Herodotus states, that " whilst the 

 Persians waited for the rising of the sun, they burned on the bridge all 

 manner of perfumes, and strewed the way with branches of myrtle." 

 Among the ancients the myrtle was expressive of triumph and joy ; 

 the hero wore the myrtle as a mark of victory ; the bridegroom on 

 his bridal day ; and friends presented each other with myrtle gar- 

 lands in the conviviality of the banquet. So greatly was this shrub 

 prized, that Venus is said to have been adorned with it when Paris 

 decided in her favour the prize of beauty, and for that reason it was 

 deemed odious by Juno and Minerva. At the festival of Bon a Dea at 

 Rome myrtle was excluded, probably from this reason. The Myrtle 

 will hardly live near London. It may survive some winters, but is 

 generally killed by severe frost, so we must content 

 ourselves with using it for conservatory decoration 

 or protect it in the greenhouse during winter. 



Besides all these trees and shrubs, we erow the 



o 



common Heather (Calluna vulgar is, fig. 983), one of 

 the finest of all plants; the Linnaa borealis ; the 

 Empetrum nigrum, or Crowberry (A) ; the Erica 

 Jierbacea, which flowers with the snowdrop ; Erica 

 'Tetralix, or common Heath (c) ; the English and 

 American Cranberries, the Bilberry (B), the Dogberry (D), the Cloud- 

 berry, and the Stoneberry ; many of which I have described elsewhere. 



" What should I tell you more of it? 

 There was so many trees yet, 

 That I should all encombred bee 

 Ere I had reckoned every tree." CHAUCER. 



