102 



shaken by the wind " becomes an agreeable sight to one 

 coming from the dusty streets of the city. 



The flowers upon the table, not collected by my own 

 hand, suggest the shady coppice, as well as the rocky 

 promontory, and the sandy shore. Among which are the 

 arethusa, the dwarf laurel, the iris, the cranberry, the 

 anagallis, the calestegia or wild morning glory, and 

 many others which under specific names were assigned to 

 their proper group in the natural arrangement, the only 

 classification at this late day worthy of consideration. 

 The most peculiar specimens presented were the full 

 blown heads of the yellow thistle, Cirsium horridulum, 

 new to most of the party, but not uncommon in many 

 sandy localities near the sea. Notwithstanding its for- 

 bidding prickles, which gave rise to its specific name, 

 several ladies present, impressed with its novel beauty, 

 plucked large bunches of its showy blossoms with which 

 to embellish their vases at home, hitherto filled with the 

 more delicate products of the green house and flower 

 border. 



It is presumed to be generally understood that all the 

 beautiful plants of ^>ur gardens and conservatories were 

 once wild, the cultivated offspring of ruder and more 

 simple types ; our own country meanwhile furnishing to 

 other nations many an exotic of rare worth and beauty, 

 and quite as highly prized as any of theirs are to us. 



This splendid array of ornamental plants now so acces- 

 sible, and with which many of our gardens are richly 

 stocked, is the result of many long years of cultivation, 

 with changes and mutations induced or retained by the 

 hand of man, and generally at the expense of what may 

 be called the integrity of the plant, that is, more or less 

 to the sacrifice of its vital and generative forces. Many 

 plants with such an origin, though extremely ornamental 



