STUDIES OF PLANT LIFE 



trees. Over all these the graceful Willow-herb waves its 

 flowery spikes and long willowy leaves. All through the 

 months of July, August and September it blooms on, while 

 later in the season its silky-plumed seeds fill the air as they 

 wing their way to other wild spots equally favorable for 

 their growth and development. 



The midribs of the leaves are white or rosy red, as also 

 are the wand-like stems and branches. The terminal naked 

 buds are of a deep crimson; the seed-pod is long and opens 

 lengthwise to allow the seeds to float off on the breeze by 

 means of their silky sails. 



The Willow-herb is cultivated in gardens in England, 

 where it is known by the name of French Willow. I 

 remember seeing it in almost a wild state in a picturesque 

 old garden in Suffolk, where it grew to the height of seven 

 or eight feet, the long flowery wand-like stems drooping 

 over the margin of a fish-pond, where, beneath the shadow 

 of a big old willow, I used to sit and feed the silver-scaled 

 carp, which were so fearless that they came and fed upon 

 the crumbs that I threw into the water. 



EVENING PRIMROSE (Enothera biennis (L.), var. grandi- 



flora (Lindl.). 



" A tuft of Evening Primroses 

 O'er which the mind might hover till it dozes, 

 But that it's ever startled by the leap 

 Of buds into ripe flowers." 



Keats. 



In common with the Northern and Eastern States, 

 Canada owns many native flowers of this fine family. Our 

 largest variety of (E. biennis is deliciously fragrant, with 

 large showy flowers of a deep sulphur color of all the 

 shades of yellow the most beautiful and satisfying to the 



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