Ill 



THE FLOWERS OF EARLY SPRING 



"Once more the Heavenly Power 

 Makes all things new." 



T 7ERY early in the year " the dant in certain spots of the Undercliff 

 wandering herbalist " meets with in the Isle of Wight, and in the grounds 

 " sweet omens of approaching spring." of Swainston, not far from Farringford, 

 The " harmless " but happy man, as where Tennyson wrote the touching 

 he passes down the sheltered lane or lines in memory of ' The Prince of 

 through the leafless wood, will notice Courtesy " 

 here and there, if the snow be not too Nightingales warbled without, 

 thick upon the ground, evidences of Within was ^P^ for ^- 

 returning life and beauty. The sap It also grows at Portchester, beneath 

 at any rate is stirring in the forest the shadow of the Norman keep, and 

 trees ; the catkins on the hazel are in most seasons is in full blossom by 

 beginning to show themselves ; the the third week of January. The win- 

 glossy leaves of the arum are shooting ter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), as 

 up from among the withered leaves, its name indicates, is another early 

 and it may be a few flowers of the flower, and is frequently in bloom 

 common groundsel or the humble before the first month of the year has 

 chickweed are opening their petals run its course. As a garden plant 

 to the winter's sun. this species with its solitary pale yel- 

 In the gardens, even in January, low flowers is well known, but it is 

 the Christmas rose is in full flower, sometimes to be seen in a semi-wild 

 and in some warm sheltered places state. There is a large patch of it 

 the sweet-scented coltsfoot (Petasites beside a lane in the parish of Farring- 

 fragrans) may be found. This plant, don, where, it will be remembered, 

 sometimes called from its delicate Gilbert White was curate for twenty- 

 fragrance the winter heliotrope, has five years. He must often have passed 

 become naturalized in many localities the spot, which is not far from the 

 in the south of England. It is abun- ancient church in which he officiated, 



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