40 



THE HORSE CHESTNUT* 



tiers of large and massive foliage. Out of the 

 numerous flowers contained in every bunch, a fev^ 

 only mature their fruity the rest drop olF soon 

 after they have begun to lose their beauty. The 

 seed-vesselsj which are prickly, or rather thorny, 

 attain their full size in October, when they fall 

 off, and, splitting with even-edged valves, disclose 

 three cells, in each of which is contained a round- 

 ish polished nut, resembling the sweet Chestnut 

 in colour, but not, like it, terminating in a point. 

 It rarely happens that all three nuts are perfected, 

 frequently only two are developed, but the rudi- 

 ments of all may be discovered. 



The Horse Chestnut is one of the first trees to 

 remind us of the approach of winter, for its leaves 

 begin to change colour in July, and very soon to 

 fall, but, as if to atone for this defect, its buds des- 

 tined to expand in the succeeding spring have 

 made so great advance as to be already conspi- 

 cuous objects. The poet evidently had this tree 

 in his eye, when he said that the providence of 

 God, 



" In its case 

 Russet and rude, folds up the tender germ, 

 Uninjured, with inimitable art ; 

 And ere one flowery season fades and dies, 

 Designs the blooming wonders of the next." 



As an ornament to the landscape, we have seen 

 that the Horse Chestnut, when attired in its spring 

 drapery, is unrivalled; it yet remains that we 

 should consider its claims to the possession of 

 picturesque beauty. In this respect, Gilpin, the 

 great authority on such subjects, pronounces an 

 opinion far from laudatory, as indeed we might 

 naturally expect; for the particular beauties of 



