PART VIII. PICTURESQUE PLANTING. 465 



alder and box are refused by cattle; those of the elm are 

 greedily devoured ; those of the fir are obnoxious to many in- 

 sects which infest hot-houses, &c. 



10. The flowers of trees vary almost as much as the leaves. 

 Those of some are large and showy, as the rose and the honey- 

 suckle ; in others they are small and obscure, as in the alater- 

 nus. The flowers of some cover the whole plant, and soon 

 fade, as those of the hawthorn; in others, they are thinly dis- 

 tributed, and continue a long time, as those of the passion- 

 flower. Some come into blossom very early, as those of the 

 mezerion ; others very late, as those of the sweet chesnut, and 

 the althceafrutex. Some trees and shrubs cease flowering before 

 their leaves expand, as the almond; the blossom of others 

 makes its appearance only when the leaves fall off, as that of 

 the hazel. 



11. The fruits or seeds of trees vary considerably . Some are 

 brilliantly coloured and showy in appearance, as the clustered 

 berries of the mountain ash ; in others, the seed is very obscure, 

 as in the willow. Upon some trees the seeds remain two or more 

 years, as the cones on the fir tribe; in others but a few weeks, 

 as the capsules of the elm. Some fruits or seeds are used for 

 culinary purposes, and contribute to enrich our desserts, as the 

 apple and the walnut ; others for fattening the inferior animals, 



3 o 



