A GLANCE AT BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 185 



blossoms, so white with us, are a decided pink in 

 England. The same is true of the water-plantain. 

 Our houstonia and hepatica would probably become 

 a deep blue in that country. The marine climate 

 probably has something to do also with this high 

 color of the British flowers, as I have noticed that on 

 our New England coast the same flowers are deeper 

 tinted than they are in the interior. 



A flower which greets all ramblers to moist fields 

 and tranquil water -courses in midsummer is the 

 meadow-sweet, called also queen of the meadows. It 

 belongs to the Spiraa tribe, where our hardback, 

 nine-bark, meadow-sweet, queen of the prairie, and 

 others, belong, but surpasses all our species in being 

 sweet-scented a suggestion of almonds and cinna- 

 mon. I saw much of it about Stratford, and in row- 

 ing on the Avon plucked its large clusters of fine, 

 creamy white flowers from my boat. Arnold is felici- 

 tous in describing it as the " blond meadow-sweet.'* 



They cultivate a species of clover in England that 

 gives a striking effect to a field when in bloom, tri- 

 folium incarnatum, the long heads as red as blood. 

 It is grown mostly for green fodder. I saw not one 

 spear of Timothy grass in all my rambles. As this 

 is an American grass, it seems to be quite unknown 

 among English and Scotch farmers. The horse bean, 

 or Winchester bean, sown broadcast, is a new feature, 

 while its perfume, suggesting that of apple orchards, 

 is the most agreeable to be met with. 



I was delighted with the furze, or whin, as the 



