Wild Flowers in June. 185 



nrays command, causes it to grow at a season when it would 

 i ave been quiescent. Thus he retards or advances, at will, the 



eriods o( flowering, and of rest, or in time completely inverts 

 them. 



WILD FLOWERS IN JUNE. 



June, 'leafy June,' has come at last, though long delayed 

 by the clouds and frosts of this late cold spring. It is re- 

 markable to observe how the first warm weather has brought 

 forward the foliage and flowers. It would seem as if the trees 

 and herbs, having had their energies locked up so long, had 

 made a redoubled effort, and burst forth at once into full green- 

 ness and beauty. Whoever has jounced through any north- 

 ern section of the country during the past month, must have 

 observed the striking difference between the aspect of the 

 scenery, as it appeared a week ago, and as it appears now. 

 Then scarcely a green thing broke the dull gray monotony; now 

 buds are springing, flowers are blooming, birds are singing. 

 Then, the farmer, as he looked upon his frosty fields, almost 

 despaired of the fulfilment of the promise of seed time and 

 harvest ; now he is merrily watching the result of his toil and 

 patience, in his growing crops. It is a difficult thing, among 

 the thousand fair productions of Nature, all at once expanding, 

 adding fragrance to the air and glory to the earth, to select 

 those which are most interesting. Many May flowers continue 

 toblossom during a great part of this month. A few days ago 

 we found the Wild Columbine in full flower upon the highest 

 rock of a craggy mountain in Connecticut, giving grace to a 

 savage scene, with its slender upright stems and nodding flow- 

 ers. Now will be seen, among the thickest foliage of the 

 forest, the showy white involucres of the Dogwood, Cornus Flo- 

 rida, and, in the undeigrowth, its humble, though scarcely less 

 conspicuous relative, C. Canadensis. Of shrubs indeed a great 

 number are in flower. The Swamp Pink, Rhododendron nudir- 

 forum, with its fragrant flowers, so winning in their beauty that 



