THE FIELD AND THE GARDEN. 99 



ing to some property that is appreciable only by a con- 

 noisseur. I am aware that such exhibitions are attended 

 with certain public advantages, and contribute an inno- 

 cent amusement to the inhabitants of towns and cities. 

 But I should be more interested in looking over the dried 

 specimens of some rustic botanist in the country than in 

 viewing the most splendid assortment of show-flowers ; 

 and feel more respect for the zeal of a true lover of na- 

 ture, who traverses the continent in quest of an unknown 

 species, than for the ambition of a florist, who experi- 

 ments half his lifetime to add one new tint to a dahlia. 



I was invited some time since by an old lady of my 

 acquaintance to visit her garden and see her flowers, of 

 which she had gathered together a miscellaneous assem- 

 blage that reminded me of those we sometimes meet in a 

 little opening in the woods. She was one who valued 

 plants as the works of nature, not as the toys of ambi- 

 tion, and who held them all sacred as gifts of Providence. 

 Every species was highly prized by her, and she had col- 

 lected all such as her means enabled her to obtain, and 

 planted them in her garden. This little enclosure I found 

 to be stored with many plants which have been naturalized 

 on our soil, and from time immemorial have been known 

 and loved by the inhabitants both of England and Amer- 

 ica. Many of these were common in our gardens thirty 

 years ago. Among them were several cordial and medi- 

 cinal herbs, such as wormwood, balm, horehound, south- 

 ernwood, basil, and thyme, growing side by side with 

 pinks, jasmines, and primulus. She expatiated on the 

 uses of these and the beauties of those; but the principal 

 objects of her admiration were some noble sunflowers, 

 that maintained a sort of kingly presence among the in- 

 habitants of her garden. 



Not being affected by any prejudice against sunflowers, 

 I sympathized with her admiration, and praised them 



