On the Withering of Plants 



May, and only then do we see those 

 glorious spikes of bloom, studded thickly 

 as if with almonds, which, especially in 

 the county of Devon, form one of the 

 most striking beauties of our forest lands. 

 The plant looks ragged and miserable for 

 some long while after this golden hoard 

 is spent. And the Daisy, Dead Nettles, 

 and Groundsel obey the same law as the 

 Furze, though the Daisy lasts very long 

 in bloom. The Groundsel is probably at 

 its best in winter. In summer we are 

 too apt to think of it only as a nuisance, 

 and do not give it credit for the beauty 

 it really possesses when growing in a 

 fertile soil. 



Very few flowers make a creditable 

 appearance when withering, and scarce 

 any of our common ones can be said to 

 wither into new beauty ; this is reserved 

 for the less brilliantly coloured leaves. 

 And though I cannot say how far the 

 law will apply, it is the trees with incon- 

 spicuous flowers, like the beech and elm, 

 which make the most splendid appearance 

 in our October woods.^ 



Now why is this wearied feeling with 



1 [The Horse-Chestnut is an exception ; it is the most 

 conspicuous in its flowers, and one of the most gorgeous 

 in its autumnal tints. — H. N. E.] 



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