The Dogwood. 



cases. The long and straggling roots may be taken off, 

 but the fibres must not; and the whole must go into the 

 ground again as entire as possible. This is a matter of 

 very great importance, and ought to be most strictly 

 attended to. 



THIS BO^WO^^. 



In Latin, Cornus ; in French, Cornuiller. 



216. The botanical characters are :— It has many flowers included in one 

 common four-leaved involucrum, which is coloured. The flowers liave each 

 a small empaleraent, sitting on the germen, which is indented in four parts. 

 They have four plain petals, which are smaller than the leaves of the involu- 

 crum, and four erect stamina, which are longer than the petals, terminated 

 by roundish summits. The round germen, situated below the empalement, 

 supports a slender style, crowned by an obtuse stigma. The germen after- 

 wards becomes an oval or roundish berry, inclosing a nut, with two ceils 

 having an oblong kernel. 



217. There are several varieties of the Dogwood, 

 two or three of which are natives of America; but 

 these are merely flowering shrubs, and are used for orna- 

 mental purposes. The Dogwood that I have to speak of 

 is the underwood which, in our own coppices, goes by that 

 name. Till very lately, I always looked upon this as a 

 perfectly insignificant, or, rather, mischievous plant. It 

 will grow in very poor ground, to be sure ; but I never 

 saw it used for any other purpose than that of fuel, and 

 never saw it grow to any considerable size. I never saw it 

 formed into a hoop, a hurdle, a rod, or a stake. But of late 

 years it has been discovered that it makes the very best of 

 charcoal for using in the manufacturing of gwipoivder ; 

 and, therefore, considering that we have such a thundering 



