STUDIES OF PLANT LIFE 



and forms a part of the edible berry. The habit of the 

 plant is evergreen, and it may be found on sandy knolls, 

 in thickets, and under the shade of bushes in oak-openings; 

 a finer, larger form is also to be met with in the forest, in 

 cedar swamps, the leaves, fruit and flowers being nearly 

 twice the size of the above. The leaves are strongly 

 revolute at the edges, very smooth and shining. 



There is nothing that we cling to with fonder affection 

 than the flowers of our country, especially such as in 

 childhood we delighted to gather. Thus the daisy, prim- 

 rose and violet of England and Ireland and the bonnie 

 heather and harebell of old Scotia are dear to the heart 

 of the emigrant, and the sight of one of these beloved 

 flowers, cherished in a garden or greenhouse, will awaken 

 the tenderest emotions. An old Scotchwoman when asked 

 how she liked Canada replied, " Ay, nae dout it's a gude 

 land for food and for the bairns, but there is nae a bit of 

 heather or ae bonny bluebell in a' the Ian'. It's nae like 

 my ain country." 



When shown a bunch of harebells which I had gathered 

 fresh from a gravelly bank, she grat (wept) at the sight of 

 rthem. " To see," she said, " the bonnie wee things once 

 jnair before I die !" 



I was once touched by the rapture, even to tears, of a 

 Swiss nurse who, on seeing some flowers of the Alpine 

 Kanunculus growing in the garden of Tavistock Square, 

 flung herself on the grass beside them and kissing each 

 blossom cried out, "Ah! fleur de mon pays!" (Ah! flower 

 of my country!) 



The brilliant scarlet berries of several of the shrubby 

 little Wintergreens, forming so gay a contrast to the dark 

 glossy foliage, render them very attractive. 



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