204 PLANTS GROWING IN LIGHT SOIL. 



opens by a lid. From this fact is the significance of its generic 

 name. 



TRAILING ARBUTU5. MAYFLOWER. GROUND 



LAUREL. {Plate CVl) 



Epig^a repens. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Heath. White or pi}ik. Fragrant. New England and Neiv Jersey. March-May. 



Flowers : growing in terminal clusters. Calyx : of five, green pointed sepals. 

 Corolla: tubular; with five spreading lobes; within hairy. Stamejis : ■&\yi\.o 

 ten ; included ; anthers, yellow. Pistil : one ; stigma, five-lobed. Leaves : 

 alternate on hairy stalks ; cordate ; entire ; evergreen. Stem : prostrate ; 

 branching ; woody ; hairy. 



Thoreau says : " I love nature, I love the landscape because 

 it is so sincere. It never cheats me, it never jests ; it is cheer- 

 fully, musically earnest." It is so with the arbutus, a faithful 

 little sweetheart. Even to those that live in large cities the 

 browned, faded bunches, tied with wet strings and peddled by 

 sad-eyed little boys, have the power to kindle a gleam of joy in 

 the heart ; but to those that live in the quietude of the country 

 and watch the changing of the seasons by the position of the 

 sun's reflection upon their sidewalls, the coming of the arbutus 

 is an event in the year. It never disappoints its seekers. As 

 soon as the winter's covering of snow has faded away and only 

 little melting patches are seen sparingly about ; the dried 

 leaves may be pushed aside and the sweet, pink face snuggling 

 so cosily among its green leaves has a fragrant welcome to be- 

 stow. Stern and grave as were the Pilgrim fathers, they loved 

 it dearly ; for as Whittier tells in his beautiful poem, it was the 

 first blossom to greet them after their winter of suffering. In 

 New England, where it grows abundantly, and especially about 

 Plymouth, it is called Mayflower. 



*' O sacred flower of faith and hope, 

 As sweetly now and then 

 Ye bloom on many a birchen slope, 

 In many a pine-dark glen." 



