COMMON BnOO^l.—C?/tissifS Scoparius. 



Class DiADELPHiA. Ovdcr Decandria. Nat. Ord, Leguminos-e. 

 Pea and Bean Tribe. 



As the wood has flowers peculiar to it, and 

 the meadow and the cornfield have each their 

 own blossoms, so there are some plants which 

 flourish especially on heaths and commons. 

 Far away, over many a heath-land, we may 

 see the bright golden blossoms of the '' bonnie 

 broom :" and if, on some sunny day in July, 

 we stray among them, we may see the large 

 dark-brown Broom-pods opening to let out 

 their ripe seeds. The blossoms seem to invite 

 the buttei'flies to Hnger about them, and the 

 bees keep a perpetual humming near them. 

 The Broom is useful also to man. Sometimes 

 when roads are cut down it is planted on 

 the sides of the banks, that its roots may hold 

 the crumblins^ earth toof ether. The bark is 

 steeped in water, that its fibres may be used in- 

 stead of flax, and the small twigs and branches 

 are serviceable in tanning leather. The young 

 bouo-hs are made into brooms, and the voun^ 

 green buds are pickled in vinegar, and eaten as 

 capers. When the shrub attains a good size 



