ONE FAMILY OF PLANTS. 345 



many useful substances may be obtained from a sin- 

 gle family (and that one of which the properties are 

 but slightlyand imperfectly known,) outof themany 

 thousands of vegetable productions. But, apart 

 from the applications to the purposes of art, there is 

 a great deal of instruction and pleasure in the mere 

 watching of the progress of the vegetable ; and 

 they who cultivate vegetables, and feel interested 

 in so doing, have really more pleasure in the 

 growth of the crop, whatever it may be, than in 

 the profit which it brings when they carry it to 

 the market. It is impossible to see a farmer sur- 

 veying his fields, or a gardener his fruits, flowers, 

 and vegetables, without being convinced of that ; 

 and it is not very easy to view such a character so 

 occupied, without envying him his occupation. 

 Yet why should we do the latter ? In as far as 

 knowing it is concerned, any one of the kingdoms 

 of nature is every man's kingdom, and may be 

 any man's kingdom, if he will but come and con- 

 quer it. The conquest is a conquest without la- 

 bour, too, for we have only to wait with patience, 

 and notice with attention, and nature does all the 

 rest. 



We have no need for pausing times either of 

 waiting till nature is worthy of our notice in her 

 vegetable productions. The winter is a time of 

 repose to many of the plants ; but it is the time 

 during which others are hi the greatest activity. 

 The forests are leafless, and the fields are bare ; 

 most of the plants that people the waters in the 

 warm season are down in the mud at the bottom, 

 and altogether lost to the eye, and the few veget- 

 ables which remain, are faint in their colours and 

 feeble in their odours. But still, the winter mosses, 



