f)e Sprfnjj SUmtr iflotoers. 61 



the crown imperial, we can well overlook the 

 odor of the great green aroid which so boldly 

 ushers in the spring. 



The infinite shades of green which Nature 

 has in her color-box ! I say nothing of the mar- 

 velous greens of her twilight skies, or those of 

 her streams and waters, but simply the greens 

 of vegetation. There is another autumn of color 

 in the spring foliage, so varied are the shadings 

 of the buds and young leaves. Indeed, it is 

 often difficult to tell where green begins or 

 ceases, so interblended it is with reds and yel- 

 lows. The different colors of the soil, too, what 

 variety they present ! there is almost a rainbow 

 in the clays alone ! I do not remember having 

 noticed magenta in either foliage or soil. When 

 Nature uses it in a flower, she is rather sparing, 

 or gives it a proper foil of green to tone it down ; 

 its wild, barbaric effect she leaves to frescoes, 

 florist's cinerarias, and Bahndur rugs. 



Once started, the wild flowers succeed one 

 another with astounding rapidity. The arbutus 

 appears blushing almost beneath the snow, and 

 so quickly is it followed by the many other early 

 flowers that it becomes difficult to place them in 

 their proper succession. A sheltered situation 

 where the sun concentrates its warmth often 

 calls out a species before its regular time, inter- 



