124 
RURAL HOURS. 
joying the fragrant meadows, and the Avaving corn-fields on the 
skirts of the village. 
A meadow near at hand would seem to give more pleasure than 
a corn-field. Grain, to appear to full advantage, should be seen 
at a little distance, where one may note the changes in its coloring 
with the advancing season, where one may enjoy the play of light 
when the summer clouds throAv their shadows there, or the breezes 
chase one another over the wa\dng lawn. It is like a piece of 
shaded silk Avhich the salesman throws ofif a little, that you may 
better appreciate the effect. But a meadoAV is a delicate embroid- 
ery ill colors, Avhich you must examine closely to understand all its 
merits ; the nearer you are, tlie better. One must bend over the 
grass to find the blue violet in May, the red straAvberry in June ; 
one should be close at hand to mark the first appearance of the 
simple field-blossoms, clover, red and Avhite, buttercup and daisy, 
with the later lily, and primrose, and meadoAV-tuft ; one should 
be nigh to breathe the sweet and fresh perfume, Avhich increases 
daily until the mowers come Avith their scythes. 
The grasses Avhich fill our meadoAvs are very many of them 
foreign plants ; among these are the A’ernal-grass, Avhich gives 
such a delightful fragrance to the neAv-moAvn hay. The timothy 
is also an imported grass ; so is the meadoAv-grass considered 
as the best of all for pasture ; the orchard-grass much esteemed 
also ; and the canary-grass, Avhich yields a seed for birds. Some 
of the most troublesome Aveeds of this tribe are naturalized, as the 
' darnel in pastures, the chess or cheat of the grain-fields ; quaking- 
grass, quitch-grass, yard-grass, and crab-grass, also. Altogether, 
there are some thirty varieties of these imported grasses enumer- 
ated by botanists in this pari of the country. 
