280 OCTOBER. 



The Saxons called this month wyn-monath, 

 wine-month, and Winter-fulleth. 



The great business of Nature, with respect 

 to the vegetable creation, at this season, is dis- 

 semination. Plants, having gone through the 

 successive stages of springing, flowering, and 

 seeding, have, at length, brought to maturity 

 the rudiments of a future progeny, which are 

 now to be committed to the fostering bosom of 

 the earth. Seeds are scattered by the hand of 

 Nature in various manners. The winds which 

 at this time arise, disperse far and wide many 

 seeds, which are curiously furnished with fea- 

 thers, or wings, for this purpose. Hence, plants 

 with such seeds, are, of all others, the most 

 universally to be met with, as dandelions, rag- 

 wort, thistles, etc. Other seeds, by means of 

 hooks, lay hold of passing animals, and are thus 

 carried to distant places ; as the bur. Many 

 are contained in berries, which are carried about 

 by birds. The seeds of some trees, as the 

 maple, sycamore, etc. exactly resemble the 

 wings of dragon-flies, being placed in pairs. 

 Thus carefully has Nature provided for the 

 distribution and propagation of plants. 



Trees generally lose their leaves in the follow- 

 ing succession : walnut, mulberry, horse-ches- 

 nut, sycamore, lime, ash ; then, after an in- 

 terval, elm ; then beech and oak ; then apple 



