V WOODS AND FIELDS 193 



used to lie down on it, and draw the blades 

 as they grew, with the ground herbage of 

 buttercup or hawkweed mixed among them, 

 until every square foot of meadow, or mossy 

 bank, became an infinite picture and posses- 

 sion to me, and the grace and adjustment to 

 each other of growing leaves, a subject of 

 more curious interest to me than the com^ 

 position of any painter's masterpieces." 



In the passage above quoted, Ruskin alludes 

 especially to Swiss meadows. They are espe- 

 cially remarkable in the beauty and variety of 

 floAvers. In our fields the herbage is mainly 

 grass, and if it often- happens that they glow 

 with Buttercups or are white with Ox-eye- 

 daisies, these are but unwelcome intruders 

 and add nothing to the value of the hay. 

 Swiss meadows, on the contrary, are sweet 

 and lovely with wild Geraniums, Harebells, 

 Bluebells, Pink Restharrow, Yellow Lady's 

 Bedstraw, Chervil, Eyebright, Red and White 

 Silenes, Geraniums, Gentians, and many other 

 flowers which have no familiar English names ; 

 all adding not only to the beauty and sweetness 

 of the meadows, but forming a valuable part 



